The Glowing Martyrs of Waterbury: The Tragic Legacy of the Radium Girls
If you happen to be driving through Waterbury, Connecticut, just off I-84 near the former Timexpo Museum, you might notice a small, unassuming street sign: Radium Girls Memorial Way. This tiny marker serves as a quiet remembrance of a monumental and tragic chapter in American labor history that began just after World War I.
The Craze for the “Miracle” Glow
Following World War I, wristwatches became a massive craze. Unlike the old pocket watches, wristwatches allowed soldiers to coordinate attacks without taking their hands off their weapons. To meet this demand, the Waterbury Clock Company hired young women… many in their early 20s… to work on assembly lines. Because of their “nimble fingers,” these women were tasked with painting glow-in-the-dark numbers and dials using a substance called radium.
At the time, radium was considered a “miracle substance”. It was marketed as something that could improve everything from your libido to your longevity, and doctors even prescribed it for various ailments. It was even considered “fun”; the workers would sometimes paint their nails, hair, and even their teeth with the glowing paint just for the novelty of it.
“Lip, Dip, Paint”
The workers were paid five cents per watch, and to work faster and more accurately, they practiced a technique called “lip dipping”. They would put the fine paintbrushes in their mouths to create a sharp point before dipping them back into the radium paint. The faster they painted, the more money they made, but every “dip” meant they were unknowingly ingesting poison.
The Horrific Cost
The physical toll was gruesome and surreal. One worker went to the dentist to have a tooth pulled, only for her entire jaw to come off with it. Another young woman’s legs shattered while she was simply dancing on a dance floor, while others suffered from collapsing spines. Frances Splettstocher became the first of many to die from radium poisoning. It was eventually discovered that the “better” the worker… those who did the most lip dipping… the sooner they suffered and died.
The Battle for Justice
When reports of these illnesses reached management, the company denied any connection to radium, instead blaming the women’s lifestyles or hiring “phony doctors” to tell them they were healthy. However, the Radium Girls refused to be silent. They became activists and took their fight to court.
While they faced significant legal hurdles and the company eventually moved and rebranded to sweep the history under the rug, the Radium Girls won the “war” for labor history. Their suffering led to the implementation of safety measures for personnel working on the atomic bomb during World War II and established protections that save lives to this day.
A Lesson in Leadership
Today, the Waterbury Clock Company is gone, and the story of these women has been largely forgotten by the thousands of people who drive by that small street sign every day. But their legacy remains a powerful example of leadership. As the story teaches us: “Don’t be victims; be catalysts for change”. The Radium Girls knew they were being lied to, and they fought back to ensure that no one else would have to endure the same “glowing” death.
Uncovering History. Inspiring Leadership. The Travel in Time Show is where travel, history, and leadership intermingle with history teacher, author, and speaker Dan Blanchard
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*See Dan’s Interview with Francis Splettstocher: (Coming Soon)
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