Origins & Early Life

Brownie Wise (née Humphrey; May 25, 1913 – September 24, 1992) was a pioneering American saleswoman largely responsible for the success of the home products company Tupperware, through her development of the "party plan" system of marketing. She initially worked as a salesperson for Stanley Home Products to supplement her income, before switching to selling Tupperware. Wise was vice president of Tupperware Home Parties between 1951 and 1958 when she was fired by Tupperware's founder Earl Tupper. Wise was born Brownie Mae Humphrey on May 25, 1913, in Buford, Georgia, to Jerome and Rose Stroud Humphrey.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

When Wise was two years old, her parents divorced, making her mother a single parent. Her mother worked as an organizer for a hat makers' union, often traveling for months at a time, leaving Wise in the care of her aunt. Wise dropped out of school in her teens, and by the age of fourteen was delivering speeches at union rallies. She met her future husband, Robert W. Wise, at the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

After marrying later that year, they moved to Detroit, where their only child, Jerry, was born in 1938. Robert was often violent; in one case, he threw a bottle...

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