Remember when the fictional Betty Crocker, General Mills’ wholesome, pleasant, practical dispenser of common sense for homemakers arrived on the scene? It was 1921. Betty was created by the Washburn Crosby Milling Company  to personalize letters to consumers about baking. The name Betty (friendly sounding, popular at the time) was added to Crocker (a retired director at the company). Washburn Crosby became General Mills in 1928. Betty lived on to become a legend, celebrating her 75th anniversary in 1996.

Among the most successful promotions in advertising history, a 1990 survey ranked Betty Crocker near the top of the most powerful brands in the U.S. In the 1940s, Betty Crocker ranked second to Eleanor Roosevelt as the best known woman in America. So real is Betty Crocker, customers call General Mills to talk to her.

There is more to Betty Crocker than brand name success. General Mills is proud of Betty Crocker’s commitment to public service in America. In the depression ’30s, her booklet on nutritious meals for hard-pressed families won national recognition. In 1945, the Office of War Information spurred Betty to produce several million copies of a cookbook called, “Your Share” helping families survive rationing. Two hundred different Betty Crocker cookbooks have been published since 1950, including the popular Cooking With Kids and Low Fat Cholesterol. Forty-five favorites remain in print. Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook, a national best seller, is into its eighth printing approaching 30 million copies.

Betty Crocker’s skills extended beyond writing cookbooks. General Mills predecessor, Washburn Crosby, rescued a radio station from bankruptcy in 1924. It became WCCO and hosted daytime radio’s first cooking show, “Betty Crocker’s Cooking School of the Air.” Lasting 27 years, the program aired on the NBC network. Betty Crocker premiered on TV in the 1950s at ABC and CBS. Remember Betty Crocker coupons, redeemable for Oneida flatware? That program is now the current Betty Crocker catalog.

With student scholarship programs, teaching materials for home economics classes, 200 convenience food products for busy families and additional houseware items, Betty Crocker’s legendary support for American families lives on. More than 600,000 consumer (2000 figure) annually consult Betty Crocker for product information. General Mills’ family-friendly approach is the true spirit of Betty Crocker. The goal is to make Betty Crocker’s commitment to service an unending legacy. She’ll be around awhile.

Fulton Klingkerfues. This article first appeared in the March 2000 issue of Minnesota Good Age. We may earn a commission via the links on this page – at no cost to you.