Laura Scudder
Laura Scudder | |
|---|---|
| Born | Laura Emma Clough July 19, 1881 |
| Died | March 13, 1959 (aged 77) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | San Gabriel Cemetery, San Gabriel, California, U.S. |
| Occupations | Lawyer, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Laura Scudder potato chips |
| Spouse |
Charles Scudder
(m. 1908; died 1928) |
Laura Clough Scudder (July 19, 1881 – March 13, 1959) was a medical nurse, the first female attorney in Ukiah, California, a restaurateur and an entrepreneur and inventor who made and sold potato chips in Monterey Park, California.
Starting by frying hand-sliced potato chips in her home, Scudder pioneered the packaging of potato chips in sealed bags to extend their freshness. Called the "Potato Chip Queen of the West", she grew her business into a multi-million dollar enterprise that covered the west coast of America. By the mid-1950s the company's annual gross sales exceeded $20 million (equivalent to $268 million in 2025).