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Women's Engineering Society
The document discusses several inspiring women in engineering history, including Rachel Parsons, Caroline Haslett, Verena Holmes, Amy Johnson, Elizabeth Laverick, and Daphne Jackson. These women faced significant barriers as female engineers but nonetheless achieved many accomplishments. They helped establish organizations like the Women's Engineering Society to support women in engineering and campaigned for greater access and rights. The document credits these pioneering women for paving the way for more opportunities for women in engineering today.
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Women's Engineering Society
- 1. How Their LivesShaped Our Lives Dr Carol Marsh President Women’s Engineering Society www.wes.org.uk
- 2. WES’ HISTORYAgenda •Inspiring Women - Rachel Parsons • Inspiring Women - Caroline Haslett • More Inspiring Women
- 3. WES’ HISTOIRnYtroduction •51st President of the Women’s Engineering Society • Technical Manager at Selex ES • WES started in 1919 and is 95 years old • My inspiring women were Presidents of WES
- 4. Inspiring Women RachelParsons
- 5. WES’ HISTORY WilliamParsons, Earl of Rosse (1800 – 1867) Astronomer President of the Royal Society Inspiring Women Mary Countess of Rosse Sir Charles Parsons (1854–1931) Engineer (1813 – 1885) Astronomer Photographer Designed Steam Turbine Engines "William Parsons Earl of Rosse". Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Parsons_Earl_of_Rosse.jpg#mediaviewer/File:William_Parsons_Earl_of_Rosse.jpg "Mary, Countess of Rosse" by Unknown painter - Birr Castle Archives. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary,_Countess_of_Rosse.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Mary,_Countess_of_Rosse.jpg "Charles Algernon Parsons". Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Algernon_Parsons.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Charles_Algernon_Parsons.jpg
- 6. WES’ HISTORY SirCharles Parsons (1854–1931) Designed Steam Turbine Engines Inspiring Women Katharine, Lady Parsons Leader of the Suffragettes in Northeast England Rachel Parsons (1885–1956) Engineer (1859–1933) "Charles Algernon Parsons". Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Algernon_Parsons.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Charles_Algernon_Parsons.jpg http://parsonstown.info/people/katharine-parsons http://parsonstown.info/people/rachel-parsons
- 7. WES’ HISTORY InspiringWomen Katharine, Lady Parsons • Leader of the Suffragettes in Northeast England • Pioneer of the Girl Guide movement • First female member of the North East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders • Encouraged Rachel to be an engineer Extract from History Today by Henrietta Heald In 1916 at an exhibition of women’s work Katharine Parsons stated “This exhibit proved conclusively that women were able to work on almost every known operation in engineering, from the most highly skilled precision work to the rougher sort of labouring jobs” More information available from “The Genius of the Parsons Family” website http://parsonstown.info/
- 8. WES’ HISTORY InspiringWomen Rachel Parsons • 1910 – 1st of 3 women to study Mechanical Sciences at Cambridge University • Females barred from becoming full members of Cambridge University, so she wasn’t awarded a degree o 1948 before women were awarded degrees • 1914 (start of WW1) – became director of her father’s company CA Parsons in Newcastle upon Tyne in the Northeast of England (now part of Siemens) o Made searchlight equipment to detect Zeppelins and airplanes o In charge of female employees More information on Rachel Parsons http://blue-stocking.org.uk/2014/05/23/what-was-a-girl-to-do-rachel-parsons-1885-1956-engineer-and-feminist-campaigner/
- 9. WES’ HISTORY InspiringWomen • 1915 Rachel joined newly formed Ministry of Munitions to train women to o Assemble aircraft parts o Make telescopes, periscopes, shells o Install electrical wiring on battleships • 800,000 women worked in engineering during WW1 • 1919 - Restoration of Pre-War Practices Act became law which banned women from working in engineering at the end of WWI More information on Rachel Parsons http://blue-stocking.org.uk/2014/05/23/what-was-a-girl-to-do-rachel-parsons-1885-1956-engineer-and-feminist-campaigner/
- 10. WES’ HISTORY InspiringWomen In 1919 women • Over 30 could vote • Over 21 could stand for parliament • Could become doctors, vets, lawyers and civil servants • Could not become engineers • Could not become members of professional bodies • Could not publish technical papers So Katharine and Rachel Parsons • Set up the Women’s Engineering Society • Set up Atalanta Ltd, an engineering firm that employed only women More information on Rachel Parsons http://blue-stocking.org.uk/2014/05/23/what-was-a-girl-to-do-rachel-parsons-1885-1956-engineer-and-feminist-campaigner/
- 11. WES’ HISTORY InspiringWomen Rachel Parsons was • One of the richest women in Britain • Loved fast cars, fast boats and fast horses • Sailed across the Atlantic on a record breaking liner • Was elected to the London County Council • Stood for Parliament in 1923 (only 2 previous women MPs) • Campaigned for equal access, regardless of gender, to all technical schools and colleges • Blazed a trail for women who wanted to go into non traditional careers More information on Rachel Parsons http://blue-stocking.org.uk/2014/05/23/what-was-a-girl-to-do-rachel-parsons-1885-1956-engineer-and-feminist-campaigner/
- 12. WES’ HInIsSpTiOriRnYg Women Dame Caroline Haslett
- 13. WES’ HISTORY DameCaroline Haslett (1895 – 1957) • Father was an engineer in the railway • Worked as a clerk in an engineering company which made boilers during WW1 • Received basic training as an Electrical Engineer and designed boilers • Became 1st secretary of WES in 1919 after answering an advert • Founder and editor of WES’s journal “The Women Engineer” • President of WES in 1941 Inspiring Women http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/28209325
- 14. WES’ HInIsSpTiOriRnYg Women The Women Engineer Journal
- 15. WES’ HISTORY InspiringWomen Dame Caroline Haslett Campaigned to make life easier for women by getting them to use and, better still, design new, safe and easy to use electric appliances Electric Dishwasher 1917 Electric Vacuum Cleaner 1910 "Electric dishwashing machine, 1917" by Keith's Magazine - Keith's magazine on home building. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Electric_dishwashing_machine,_1917.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Electric_dishwashing_machine,_1917.jpg "Vacuum cleaner 1910". Via Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vacuum_cleaner_1910.JPG#mediaviewer/File:Vacuum_cleaner_1910.JPG
- 16. WES’ HISTORY InspiringWomen Dame Caroline Haslett • 1924 – Founded the Electrical Association for Women (EAW) • 1932 – 1st woman to become a member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (now the IET) • 1932 – Chair for the Home Safety Committee • 1933 – 1st female Vice President of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents • 1935 – Pioneered the “All-Electric House” in Bristol • 1945 – Appointed to the British Electricity Authority • 1953 – Chair of the British Electrical Development Association http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/timeline/caroline_haslett.shtml
- 17. WES’ HISTORY DameCaroline Haslett • Wrote several books Inspiring Women o The Electrical Handbook for Women o Teach Yourself Household Electricity o Munitions Girl – A Handbook for the Women of the Industrial Army o The Kitchen Practical • Ran educational classes from “How to change fuses and wire plugs” to diploma courses http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/timeline/caroline_haslett.shtml
- 18. WES’ HISTORY InspiringWomen Dame Caroline Haslett • Lectured throughout Britain and gave radio talks • Worked for the British Government during WW2 • Lived to see o Electricity in almost every home o Television (1st broadcast by BBC in Britain in 1936) o Nuclear power stations o Jet planes o Computers • Dying wish was to be cremated by electricity http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/timeline/caroline_haslett.shtml
- 19. WES’ HISTORY InspiringWomen Dame Caroline Haslett • Lectured throughout Britain and gave radio talks • Worked for the British Government during WW2 • Lived to see o Electricity in almost every home o Television (1st broadcast by BBC in Britain in 1936) o Nuclear power stations o Jet planes o Computers • Dying wish was to be cremated by electricity http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/timeline/caroline_haslett.shtml
- 20. WES’ HInIsSpTiOriRnYg Women More Inspiring Women
- 21. Verena Holmes President1931-1932 • Held 12 patents for medical devices to engine components: o Pneumo-thorax apparatus for treating patients with tuberculosis o Surgeon's headlamp o Poppet valve for steam locomotives o Rotary valves for internal combustion engines. • 1st female associated member of Institute of Mechanical Engineers took 20 years to become a full member Amy Johnson CBE President 1935-1937 • Dynamic record-breaking English aviator • 1st woman in the UK to be awarded the Air Ministry’s ground engineer’s licence • 1st woman pilot to fly solo from England to Australia • Broke the record for flying from England to Moscow, Japan and South Africa Inspiring Women
- 22. Inspiring Women ElizabethLaverick OBE President 1968-1969 • In 1943 did a BSc in Radio and Physics at Durham University then a PhD in Physics (WW2 – women encouraged to do engineering) • Worked on Microwave Instruments and Radar research • Deputy Secretary of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (now IET) • Chaired Institute of Physics “Women in Physics” Committee • IEEE Fellow Daphne Jackson OBE President 1984-1985 • Nuclear physicist • 1st female physics professor in the UK • Youngest Fellow of the Institute of Physics and became a VP • Set up the Daphne Jackson Trust to help women re-enter engineering after a career break – still running "Daphne Jackson" by 21 September 1972 issue of New Scientist. Licensed under Fair use of copyrighted material in the context of Daphne Jackson via Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Daphne_Jackson.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Daphne_Jackson.jpg
- 23. Summary As the51st President of WES, I feel indebted to the 50 amazing women who came before me o Including the inspiring directors, trustees and members Beyond their boundless enthusiasm and dedication, what links all of these women together is a refusal to accept the status quo We need to promote the supportive network of inspiring female engineers, so that there are strong role models for current and future generations of female engineers to refer to Too many generations of undiscovered engineers and scientists who never reached their potential have gone before us. We need to make sure that this generation find their voice and their place within industry and history
Editor's Notes
- #22 2012 Kate Cooksey is a tunnelling engineering employed by UK construction and infrastructure business Morgan Sindall, currently working on the Crossrail project. She has had an outstanding career to-date having been recognised on a number of occasions already for her contributions to engineering. A graduate in Civil Engineering from Cardiff University, Kate has been actively involved since her student days in the set-up of student and graduate groups to promote civil and tunnelling engineering, notably setting up the British Tunnelling Society Young Members Committee in 2008. In recognition of her achievements, Kate made the 2012 Management Today 35 Women Under 35 List, was a finalist of the Women of the Future Awards – Science and Technology Category – in 2009, and a finalist of the NCE Graduate Awards 2008.
- #23 2012 Kate Cooksey is a tunnelling engineering employed by UK construction and infrastructure business Morgan Sindall, currently working on the Crossrail project. She has had an outstanding career to-date having been recognised on a number of occasions already for her contributions to engineering. A graduate in Civil Engineering from Cardiff University, Kate has been actively involved since her student days in the set-up of student and graduate groups to promote civil and tunnelling engineering, notably setting up the British Tunnelling Society Young Members Committee in 2008. In recognition of her achievements, Kate made the 2012 Management Today 35 Women Under 35 List, was a finalist of the Women of the Future Awards – Science and Technology Category – in 2009, and a finalist of the NCE Graduate Awards 2008.