Undergarment Boudreaux showed the world that an American woman could establish and run a company, and she also caused a revolution in the underwear industry. In 1913, a New York socialite named Mary Phelps Jacob created the first modern brassiere by tying two handkerchiefs together with ribbon. Jacob's original intention was to cover the whalebone sticking out of her corset, which was visible through her sheer dress. Jacob began making brassieres for her family and friends, and news of the garment soon spread by word of mouth. By 1914, Jacob had a patent for her design and was marketing it throughout
William E. Phelps a blockade runner and provided information so that the Navy could intercept it before it saw use. He resigned in 1865 and returned to the family farm. In 1868, Phelps was elected as a Republican to the Illinois House of Representatives. However, after serving one term there, he became burdened by his business interests and resigned from politics. Phelps died on February 8, 1914, in Seattle. William E. Phelps William Edwin Phelps (1835–1914) was an American politician from Peoria County, Illinois. During the Civil War, he served as Consulate General of Saint Petersburg, Russia. In 1868, he was elected to