Ruth Graves Wakefield

About

Inventor of the Toll House Cookie, the first chocolate chip cookie.

Before Fame

She owned and operated the Toll House Inn, delighting her guests with self-created desserts. She discovered that by dropping pieces of Nestle chocolate into cookies did not melt it, but softened it up.

Trivia

Her recipe caused sales of Nestle's chocolate to skyrocket, and the company made her a deal: they would print her recipe on their boxes and she would get a lifetime supply of chocolate.

Family Life

She was born in East Walpole, Massachusetts. In 1926, she married Kenneth Donald Wakefield.

Associated With

She hosted many famous visitors at her inn, including then-Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy.