Did you know that Marjorie Joyner, the third Black woman to receive a patent was a member of Zeta Phi Beta? Marjorie Joyner was longtime a member and supporter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Marjorie Joyner was born in Monterey, Virginia. She was the granddaughter of a slave and a white slave-owner. Joyner moved to Chicago when she was 16 years old to reunite with her mother. She received a certificate of dramatic art and expression from Chicago Musical College in 1914 and graduated from the A.B. Molar Beauty School in 1916. She was awarded a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Bethune-Cookman College at the age of 77 years old.
Joyner opened her own salon after finishing beauty school. She met Madam C. J. Walker and worked for her as a sales representative before working her way up to running 200 of her beauty schools. She taught over 15,000 stylists and served as the leader of new products. This led to her invention of the permanent wave. This device created an easier way for women to curl their hair. Her patent design made her the third African American women to receive a patent. The first was a woman named Judy W Reed, and the second was Sarah E. Goode. The patent was filed under Madam C. J. Walker’s company which resulted in Joyner not receiving any money for her work.
