Knox, Rose Markward

▪ American businesswoman

née  Rose Markward 

born Nov. 18, 1857, Mansfield, Ohio, U.S.

died Sept. 27, 1950, Johnstown, N.Y.

      American businesswoman who was highly successful in promoting and selling gelatin for widespread home and industrial use.

      Rose Markward married Charles B. Knox, a salesman, in 1883. In 1890 they invested their $5,000 savings in a prepared gelatin (gelatine) business to be located in Charles Knox's hometown of Johnstown, where the presence of several tanneries would ensure the supply of raw materials. From the first, Rose Knox interested herself in both the details of the business and the challenge of expanding the market for gelatin. It was in large part because of her efforts that gelatin evolved from a delicacy and invalid food into a common household staple. Her booklet of personally tested Dainty Desserts (1896) helped interest women in the product.

      On her husband's death in 1908, Knox retained control of the business. She spun off many of her husband's peripheral business ventures and his promotional devices aimed primarily at men and concentrated on selling gelatin to the American housewife. A second booklet on Food Economy (1917), a newspaper column of recipes and hints called “Mrs. Knox Says,” and continued research in her own experimental kitchen and at the Mellon Institute kept the company growing. A larger plant was opened in 1911, and by 1925 the firm was capitalized at $1 million.

      In 1916 Knox bought a half interest in the Kind and Landesmann firm of Camden, New Jersey, from which the Knox firm had been buying gelatin, and in 1930 she became vice president of the reorganized Kind and Knox Gelatine Company. She built a new plant in Camden to produce flavoured gelatin in 1936. Her treatment of employees was notably brisk and fair, and they were remarkably loyal to the firm. The Knox company remained the leading manufacturer and distributor of gelatin, selling 60 percent of its product to home and institutional consumers and 40 percent for industrial (especially photographic) and medical use.

      Knox was the first female member of the American Grocery Manufacturers' Association and in 1929 became its first female director. She was recognized as one of the nation's outstanding businesswomen and was active in various civic and philanthropic activities in Johnstown. She retired from the presidency of Knox in 1947 in favour of her son James and took the title of chairman of the board.

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