Mary Babnik Brown (November 22, 1907 – April 14, 1991) was an American who became known for having donated her hair to the United States military during World War II.

Thirty-four inches (86 cm) long, her blonde hair had never been chemically treated or heated with curling irons.

[2] By lying about her age when she was 13, she was able to find a permanent job at the National Broom Factory, which paid 75 cents a day when she started; she ended up working there for 42 years.

Her siblings contributed to the family financially by picking up chunks of coal on railroad tracks that had fallen from steam-engine trains.

The ad said only that they wanted blonde hair that was at least 22 inches long (56 cm), and which had not been treated with chemicals or hot irons.

[5][6] Brown's hair was 34 inches (86 cm) long and had never been cut, chemically treated or heated with irons.

[2][7][8] The government purchasing agent at the Washington Institute of Technology told her that her hair would be used for meteorological instruments.