Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr
Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. (1911-2001) is primarily recognized as the co-author of the memoir "Cheaper by the Dozen," published in 1948, which humorously recounts his experiences growing up in a large family of twelve children, led by parents who were prominent efficiency engineers. Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, he was the fifth child and eldest son of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, who were innovators in the field of motion study, developing a method to optimize work processes that involved analyzing worker movements, termed "therbligs."
Gilbreth studied at the University of Michigan, graduating with a B.A. in 1933, and embarked on a career in journalism, working for notable publications including the New York Herald Tribune and the Associated Press. He also served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and later became vice president and assistant publisher at the Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, where he penned a popular column under the pseudonym Ashley Cooper.
In addition to "Cheaper by the Dozen," Gilbreth co-wrote a sequel, "Belles on Their Toes," which also inspired a film adaptation. He authored several other works, including biographies of his parents and histories of Nantucket Island, reflecting his diverse interests. Gilbreth was married twice and had three children. He passed away while playing golf, just before his ninetieth birthday, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with both family life and the study of efficiency.
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Subject Terms
Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr.
Author
- Born: March 17, 1911
- Birthplace: Plainfield, New Jersey
- Died: February 18, 2001
- Place of death: Charleston, South Carolina
Biography
Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr., is best known as the author of Cheaper by the Dozen (1948), a memoir of his childhood in a household of twelve children whose parents were internationally renowned efficiency engineers. Cheaper by the Dozen was a best-seller on its release and was the basis for a popular 1950 film of the same name.
Gilbreth was born in 1911 in Plainfield, New Jersey, the fifth child and eldest son of Frank Gibreth, Sr., and Lillian Gilbreth. The Gilbreths were partners in a consulting firm that recommended improvements in workplace efficiency to a variety of manufacturing industries. Their signature contribution to the field was motion study, in which they analyzed motion picture footage of worker movements, breaking each process down into units they called “therbligs,” which is Gilbreth spelled backwards. The Gilbreths applied their passion for efficiency not only to manufacturing processes but to their home life, and this eccentric application of their work became the primary comic conceit of Cheaper by the Dozen.
Gilbreth studied at the University of Michigan, earning his B.A. in 1933. He was a reporter for the New YorkHerald Tribune and also worked for the Associated Press and the Buenos Aires Herald. Gilbreth served in the navy during World War II. In 1947, he took a job with the Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, where he would work until the 1990’s, eventually becoming the newspaper’s vice president and assistant publisher. He was the author of the “Doing the Charleston” column, written under the name Ashley Cooper, derived from the two rivers that meet in the city.
Gilbreth cowrote Cheaper by the Dozen with his older sister, Ernestine Gilbreth Carey; their sequel, Belles on Their Toes (1950), also was made into a film. Gilbreth published several other books, including biographies of his parents and his children. He also wrote a history of Nantucket Island, where he had a second home.
Gilbreth was married twice. He wed Elizabeth Cauthen in 1934, and the two had a daughter. Elizabeth died in 1954, and the following year he married Mary Pringle Manigault, with whom he had two children. He was married to Mary when he died on February 18, 2001, while playing a round of golf, just a month shy of his ninetieth birthday.