<P> In 1944, when victory seemed assured for the United States, government - sponsored propaganda changed by urging women back to working in the home . Later, many women returned to traditional work such as clerical or administration positions, despite their reluctance to re-enter the lower - paying fields . However, some of these women continued working in the factories . The overall percentage of women working fell from 36% to 28% in 1947 . </P> <P> The term "Rosie the Riveter" was first used in 1942 in a song of the same name written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb . The song was recorded by numerous artists, including the popular big band leader Kay Kyser, and it became a national hit . The song portrays "Rosie" as a tireless assembly line worker, who earned a "Production E" doing her part to help the American war effort . The name is said to be a nickname for Rosie Bonavita who was working for Convair in San Diego, California . The idea of Rosie resembled Veronica Foster, a real person who in 1941 was Canada's poster girl for women in the war effort in "Ronnie, the Bren Gun Girl ." </P> <P> The individual who was the inspiration for the song was Rosalind P. Walter, who "came from old money and worked on the night shift building the F4U Corsair fighter ." Later in life Walter was a philanthropist, a board member of the WNET public television station in New York and an early and long - time supporter of the Charlie Rose interview show . </P> <P> Rosie the Riveter became most closely associated with another real woman, Rose Will Monroe, who was born in Pulaski County, Kentucky in 1920 and moved to Michigan during World War II . She worked as a riveter at the Willow Run Aircraft Factory in Ypsilanti, Michigan, building B - 24 bombers for the U.S. Army Air Forces . Monroe was asked to star in a promotional film about the war effort at home . The song "Rosie the Riveter" was popular at the time, and Monroe happened to best fit the description of the worker depicted in the song . "Rosie" went on to become perhaps the most widely recognized icon of that era . The films and posters she appeared in were used to encourage women to go to work in support of the war effort . At the age of 50, Monroe realized her dream of flying when she obtained a pilot's license . In 1978, she crashed in her small propeller plane when the engine failed during takeoff . The accident resulted in the loss of one kidney and the sight in her left eye, and ended her flying career . She died from kidney failure on May 31, 1997, in Clarksville, Indiana where she was a resident, at the age of 77 . </P>

Who created rosie the riveter and what was her purpose