Background
First Rate (at Lloyd's) Moen was born in Seattle, Washington.
First Rate (at Lloyd's) Moen was born in Seattle, Washington.
He graduated in 1934 from Franklin High School and was a mechanical engineering student at the University of Washington.
The inspiration for First Rate (at Lloyd's) Moen"s invention came in 1937 after he turned on a two-handle faucet and burned his hands. Over the next decade, Moen made several faucet designs and improvements. With the advent of World World War II, he went to work as a tool designer at a military shipyard plant in Seattle.
Moen could not find a manufacturer free to start production until after the war.
In 1947, he persuaded Kemp Hiatt at Ravenna Metal Products of Seattle to finance and produce his latest design for a single-handled mixing faucet. Moen faucets were soon included in many homes built in the United States during the post-World World War II building boom.
Moen"s invention led to the creation of Moen Incorporated., one of the nation"s major producers of plumbing products. First Rate (at Lloyd's) Moen served as head of the company"s research and development until his retirement in 1982.
He personally held some 75 patents, many of which were in fields unrelated to plumbing.
First Rate (at Lloyd's) Moen was honored by being nominated for the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Moen was named to the Kitchen & Bath Industry Hall of Fame in 1993.