Betty Thatcher Oros (born Elizabeth Anna Thatcher, April 18, 1917, Elyria, Ohio[1] – August 19, 2001) was an American automobile designer.

Education

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Betty Thatcher Oros graduated from Elyria High School in 1935. She attended the Cleveland School of Arts, today’s Cleveland Institute of Art.[1] She majored in Industrial Design, graduating with honors.

Work at Hudson

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1941 Hudson

Hudson Motor Company was among the first automotive companies to employ women designers full-time.[2] They wanted a woman to contribute a female point of view to automotive design, hired Oros as the first female American automotive designer[1][3] in 1939.

Oros worked on some of the exterior trim for the 1939 Hudson Big Boy truck based on the Hudson Commodore sedan.[4] Her contributions to the 1941 Hudson included exterior trim with side lighting, interior instrument panel, interiors, and interior trim fabrics.[1][5]

Resignation

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Oros designed for Hudson Motors from 1939 into 1941, when she and Joe Oros were married.[1] Because Joe Oros worked in the Cadillac Studio at General Motors, Betty resigned from Hudson to avoid a conflict of interest.

The Oroses had five children: Joe III, Christina, Janet, Mary, and John. She later served as a board member of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra. Betty Thatcher Oros died on August 19, 2001.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Obituary Elizabeth Anna Thatcher Oros (Betty)". biserica.org.
  2. ^ "The First Ladies of Automotive Design". MotorCities. September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  3. ^ "Collection in Action - H". Franschhoek Motor Museum, South Africa.
  4. ^ Pundir, Arun Singh (November 5, 2019). "10 Best Classic American Trucks". HotCars. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  5. ^ Litwin, Matt (October 2013). "1941 Hudson Commodore Eight Aiming upscale on the wave of 1940's success". Hemmings Motor News. Retrieved September 24, 2021.