Anna Sutherland Bissell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Anna Sutherland (1846-12-02)December 2, 1846 |
| Died | November 8, 1934(1934-11-08) (aged 87) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Executive of Bissell |
| Known for | First woman CEO of United States. |
| Spouse | Melville Reuben Bissell |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Anna Bissell McCay (daughter) |
Anna Sutherland Bissell (1846–1934) was a Canadian-American businesswoman who was the first female CEO in theUnited States. She was CEO ofBissell, known for its carpet sweepers and vacuum cleaners.[1]
By age 16, Bissell was a school teacher.[2]
After Bissell marriedMelville R. Bissell at 19, they became a joint partner in their crockery and china business. The Bissell Sweeper website recounts that Mrs. Bissell complained to her husband about sawdust that collected in their carpets and was difficult to remove, whereupon he made great improvements to a new invention called the carpet sweeper. When Bissell's husband invented the Bissell carpet sweeper in 1876, Bissell became a salesperson traveling from town to town selling the sweeper. Bissell was the number one salesperson.
After her husband's death in 1889 and with five children and one grandchild, Bissell took over the business and became thechief executive officer of the Bissell company.[3][4][5]
Bissell established new guidelines on trademarks and patents and moved Bissell carpet sweepers into the international market. By 1899 she had created the largest organization of its kind in the world.
In 1919, Bissell also became the chairman of the Bissell company.[4] As president of the corporation and chairman of the board, Bissell introduced progressive labor policies includingworkman's compensation andpension plans long before these practices were widespread in industry.
It was said of her that she "studied business the way other women of her time studied French." She kept pace with the growing complexities of industrialism and knew every facet of the Bissell production.
Bissell was a charter member of the Ladies Literary Club, a life member of the Women's City Club, and an active member of Zonta. She served on the board of The Clark Memorial Home and was for years the sole woman member of the National Hardware Men's Association.
Bissell was a generous philanthropist. She was the first woman trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church and was actively involved in Bissell House, a recreation and training program forGrand Rapids, Michigan youth and immigrant women. She also served on the board of what was to become Blodgett Home for Children.
Anna Bissell was born on 2nd December 1846 inRiver John, Nova Scotia, to William and Eleanor Sutherland. They moved to Wisconsin when Anna was a child.[6]Bissell's husband wasMelville Reuben Bissell. They had five children. In 1889, Bissell's husband died from pneumonia.
On November 8, 1934, Bissell died inGrand Rapids, Michigan. Bissell is buried in Oakhill Cemetery inGrand Rapids, Michigan.
In July 2016 a seven-foot (2.1 m) statue of Bissell was unveiled; it is located outside theDeVos Place Grand Gallery in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The bronze statue with "Anna Bissell (1846–1934)" was designed by Ann Hirsch. It was funded by thePeter Secchia family.[7]
There is a small park on the water in River John Nova Scotia also dedicated to Bissell.
Bissell's home known as the Bissell House in Grand Rapids, Michigan, no longer exists, however, its site is now occupied by NBC television affiliate stationWOOD-TV.
