Beulah Louise Henry (September 28, 1887 – February 1, 1973) was an American inventor who made extensive contributions to consumer products and manufacturing technology. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and later based in New York City, Henry was a pioneering figure who held 49 patents and developed over 110 inventions, significantly advancing technology while breaking gender barriers in her field.

Her inventions include a bobbin-free sewing machine and a vacuum ice cream freezer. She received 49 patents and had around 110 inventions; when she died, she held far more patents than any other woman. In 2006, she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Beulah Louise Henry was born on September 28, 1887, in Raleigh, North Carolina, the daughter of Walter R. and Beulah Henry. She was the granddaughter of former North Carolina Governor W. W. Holden and a direct descendant of President Benjamin Harrison and Patrick Henry.

Henry was a creative and inquisitive child. At nine years old, she was drawing sketches of inventions. She enjoyed painting and music, but her favorite hobby was to point out things that she saw wrong and mention changes or innovations that could be made to improve them. One of her first ideas for an invention was a mechanical hat tipper that would tip a man’s hat automatically when he greeted someone.

From 1909 to 1912, she attended Elizabeth College in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1912, prior to graduating, she was awarded her first patent (No. 1,037,762), for a vacuum ice cream freezer that required minimal ice.

After graduating, Henry moved with her mother to New York City to pursue her inventing career. There she founded the Henry Umbrella and Parasol Company, and, later, the B.L. Henry Company. From 1939 to 1955, she worked as an inventor for the Nicholas Machine Works. She also served as a consultant for many companies that manufactured her inventions, including the Mergenthaler Linotype Company and the International Doll Company.

She lived in New York hotels, belonged to a variety of scientific societies, and never married. From her hotel, she would hire model makers, draftsmen, and patent lawyers to turn her ideas into commercial inventions.

Different than most inventors of the time, Henry's inventions did not always follow the same theme or category. But many of her inventions were to improve the quality of life for women, including a hair curler, vanity case, and a rubber sponge soap holder. One of her more prominent inventions was a "snap-on" parasol, which would allow women to change their parasol's pattern to match their outfit without needing to buy an entirely new parasol.