Vesta Oral Stoudt (April 13, 1891 – May 9, 1966) was a factory worker during the Second World War famous for her letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt suggesting the use of adhesive tape to improve ammunition boxes.
During the Second World War, Stoudt worked at the Green River Ordnance Plant in Amboy, Illinois packing ammunition boxes.
[1] She recognized that the way ammunition boxes were sealed made them difficult for soldiers to open in a hurry.
[4] On February 10, 1943, she wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt explaining the problem and offering a solution: I suggested we use a strong cloth tape to close seams, and make tab of same.
Vesta O. Stoudt died age 75 at the Whiteside County Nursing Home in Prophetstown, on May 9, 1966, following a long illness.