ASEE 2010: ’The image of a woman engineer:' Women’s identities as engineers as portrayed by historical newspapers and magazines, 1930-1970.

“THE IMAGE OF A
WOMAN ENGINEER”
WOMEN’S IDENTITIES AS
ENGINEERS AS PORTRAYED BY
HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS AND
MAGAZINES, 1930-1970

Alice L. Pawley, Karen Tonso
School of Engineering Education College of Education
Purdue University Wayne State University
apawley@purdue.edu ag7246@wayne.edu

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Tuesday, June 22, 2010 2

ABOUT THE PROJECT
Society of Women Engineers 60th Anniversary Project
• Editors Anne Perusek, Lisa Frehill
• SWE Archivist Troy Eller
• Colleagues:
‣ Bevlee Watford: Women of Color in SWE
‣ Jane Daniels and Nicole Di Fabio: Why Women and Men
Join SWE
‣ Tanya Zanish-Belcher: Curtiss-Wright Cadettes
‣ Betsy Homsher: Radical acts of conservative women
‣ Others...
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TODAY
Methods: Doing archival research
Results:
1. representations of women engineers as strange,
2. representations of women engineers as normal
3. signiﬁcant absences
Conclusions

4 9

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Society of Women Engineers National Records Collection, Walter P.
Reuther Library, Wayne State University.
• Newspaper, magazine clippings, articles in general category, ‘women
in engineering’ from 1885-2004. Collected via:
• Clippings service, Press Intelligence, Inc. of Washington DC, in
1955
• Articles sent in by SWE members
• Membership and section reports and committee information,
particularly of the Committee on Minority Concerns; and
• Biographical, oral history materials collected on particular SWE
members and leaders.

5

GUIDING QUESTIONS

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GUIDING QUESTIONS
• How are the women explicitly or implicitly described in the
article – its headline, body text and images?
‣ How women were described as individuals;
‣ how they described themselves in the article; and
‣ How they were described in relation to men.

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GUIDING QUESTIONS
• How was the relationship between women, men, and
engineering work described?

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GUIDING QUESTIONS
• How was the relationship between women, men, and
engineering work described?
• How did article’s author frame the import of the article?
‣ What is “of note”?

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SOME CAVEATS

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SOME CAVEATS
Keep images in historical context:

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SOME CAVEATS
WW1* Depression * WW2 * Cold War * Civil Rights Mvmt

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SOME CAVEATS
WW1* Depression * WW2 * Cold War * Civil Rights Mvmt
Note the limits of photographic technology - posing photos

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1: WOMEN ENGINEERS AS STRANGE

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Women as invaders!

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Women as invaders!

the rich world’s quiet
revolution: women are gradually
taking over the workplace.
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Women as individuals alone among men

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Women as individuals alone among men

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Women posed with props of engineering

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2: WOMEN ENGINEERS AS NORMAL IFF...

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...they still look (hegemonically) “feminine”...

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...they still look (hegemonically) “feminine”...

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...they still behave in (hegemonically) “feminine” ways...

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...they use their “feminine” skills...

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...they use their “feminine” skills...

September 17, 1957 The Christian Science Monitor, by Mildred Weiler
[...]
She can help a customer decide what is best for his requirements [with
Sturgis Equipment company, sales engr for hydraulic and pneumatic
tools], figure out the type of valve he needs, or how many cubic feet
of air he should get with certain equipment, and, when necessary, trip
daintily on her high heels out into the shop to repair a tool.

"Many people think women engineers are mannish looking," Mrs. Loomis
explained, "but a woman defeats her own purpose if she tries to make
herself into a masculine type engineer."

It's the feminine qualities and talents a woman brings to engineering
that earn for her the acceptance in every type of engineering,
according to Mrs. Loomis. These include a woman's special talent for
detail and thoroughness in research, her loyalty and sense of
obligation to her employer, and her creative ability, whether it is in
designing or in a time study to do a job more efficiently.

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...they do “feminine” engineering work...

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17

...they also do “feminine” work...

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...they also do “feminine” work...

First Girl Engineer From CCNY Can Cook And Tap Dance, Too
By Lillian Callif, New York World-Telegram, 6/25/45

A slim young brunette who heaved rocks to help pay her way though college
today held the distinction of being the first girl in the history of the
College of the City of New York to have completed the civil engineering
course.

Cynthia Bergman, 18 E. 199th St, the Bronx, vivacious and attractive, at
19, is one of the engineering department's youngest graduates. [...]

She ushered at the Windsor Theater, clerked for an engineering firm and
then, for another engineering company, sorted rocks. "Certain sizes," she
explained, "are needed for concrete. I threw them into piles. I also
mixed concrete. That's a little more work than mixing cake batter."

Some Thought Her a Joke
"Cook?" she said in surprise. "Of course, and bake and wash and iron and
sew too. I'm the domestic kind. A good thing too, because I'm engaged
to a boy who graduated in civil engineering at CCNY."
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18

...they still serve as romantic and sexual objects of men...

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...they still serve as romantic and sexual objects
Engineering Student Has 57 'Boy of men...
Friends'
Among 58 engineering students in the
new college-training program jointly
sponsored by the Brooklyn Naval
Shipyard and Pratt Institute, Rona
Lepine, 18, has the distinction,
half-enviable and half-terrifying,
of being the only girl.
....
How do the boys treat her?
"They curtail their language
somewhat. They treat me fine. Just
call me 'the girl with 57
boyfriends.
[Photo caption: ]Rona Lepine:
Delightful Dilemma
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Engineering Student Has 57 'Boy
Friends'
Among 58 engineering studentsBelle the Engineer Tops 'em
A in of an
New York World-Telegram, Thursday June 10 1
new college-training program jointly
by Sally MacDougall
Shipyard and Pratt Institute, Rona Member Leads Graduates of Brookly
Only Girl
Poly Class
Lepine, 18, has the distinction, Last night, at the 93rd commencement of the
half-enviable and half-terrifying, INstitute of Brooklyn, top hono
Polytechnic
went to Ann Gunsolus, 21, only girl graduat
of being the only girl. a class with 296 men.
.... [...]
How do the boys treat her? What a Stagline!
[...]With a stagline of hundreds of "awfull
"They curtail their language nice boys" for four years, Ann has never pi
somewhat. They treat me fine. dates. "I've gone dancing with several
for Just
it was not fun, but men engineers are not v
call me 'the girl with 57 good dancers. They're easy men to be with.
boyfriends. Their minds are methodical and they don't g
off on temper tangents."
Delightful Dilemma
18

Engineering Student Has 57 'Boy
Friends'
Among 58 engineering studentsBelle the Engineer Tops 'em
A in of an
She Designs New Plan LoadingSally World-Telegram, Thursday June 10 1
New York
new college-training program jointly (sic)
by
Platform
MacDougall
by Mary Anderson
ShipyardYork World-Telegram, Friday Mar 30, Leads Graduates of Brookly
New
and Pratt Institute, Rona Member 1945
Only Girl
Poly Class
[...]
Lepine, 18, has the distinction,
Her fine hand for fashion Last night, at the 93rd commencement of the
designing isn't completely
half-enviable these half-terrifying, she's spending her freehono
neglected and days, however, as INstitute of Brooklyn, top
Polytechnic
went to Ann Gunsolus, 21, only girl graduat
of being designing her trousseau to withused men. April when she
time the only girl. a class be 296 in
.... flies to California to be [...]married.
How do the boys treat her? What a Stagline!
[...]With a stagline of hundreds of "awfull
"They curtail theirairlines romance," for four years, "My fiance pi
"Yes, it was an language nice boys" she smiled. Ann has never
somewhat. They treat me fine. dates. here after dancing with several
was in the engineering department "I've gone his discharge
for Just
from the Army. I might go into not fun, but men engineers are not v
it was industrial engineering
call me 'the girl with 57 good dancers. They're easy men to be with.
after the war, but I think we'll be content to have one
boyfriends. in the family." Their minds are methodical and they don't g
engineer off on temper tangents."
Delightful Dilemma
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3: NOTABLE ABSENCES
Men’s voices

19

3: NOTABLE ABSENCES

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3: NOTABLE ABSENCES
Women of color

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3: NOTABLE ABSENCES
Women of color
1st girl in 43 years to Get Pratt Engineering Degree
(no byline) New York Times 1941?

For the first time in forty-three years the School of Science and
Technology of Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, will graduate a woman
engineer at its annual commencement exercises tomorrow afternoon in
the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Lafayette Avenue and Ashland Place.
She is Isabelle Suarez, 22 years old, of 531 West 143d Street.

Miss Suarez confessed yesterday that she has been interested in a
scientific career since her seventh grade in elementary school, but
was at first undcided (sic) between medicine, nursing and chemistry.
She finally selected a career in chemical engineering, she said,
because of the influence of her chemistry teacher at Textile High,
from which she was graduated in 1937.

Miss Suarez explained that she will begin her career with research
chemistry because she feels that many branches of chemical
engineering may be closed to women, at least temporarily. A native
of Havana, she speaks Spanish as well as English, and hopes that
there may be an opening for her in one of the Latin-American
20
countries, or in the local office of a Latin-American firm.

3: NOTABLE ABSENCES
Women of color

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3: NOTABLE ABSENCES
Women of color
"They Forgot to Tell Me I Couldn't Do It"
by Susan Paynter, no publication name p. 1, p. 4 col 5; 1971

When Yvonne Clark was a Kentucky high school student she wasn't permitted to study mechanical drawing. It wasn't a proper class for
girls.

Today she's head of the mechanical engineering department of Tennessee State University.

Mrs. Clark became a professional engineer in the South at a time when industry didn't hire black engineers, certainly not black women
engineers. "I guess somebody just forgot to tell me I couldn't do it," she said. [...]

After college and professional experience with RCA, she couldn't get a job in Southern industry. Predominantly black Tennessee State
U. was the only place that would hire her.

"I went South to say 'I do,'" she said. "If I hadn't married that rascal I probably wouldn't be there now." Her husband is a
biochemistry instructor. [...]

"Something about mechanical engineering gives parents an idea it's a manual or physical field," she said. "And, at least in the
South, black parents decide what their kids will major in.

"Money's short and they have to be sure there will be a return on their investment. They somehow think mechanical engineering is less
prestigious and less lucrative. It's not.

"Mechanical engineers make ideas into realities and we're in demand. A woman just has to be twice as good to get hired and being
black just compounds the felony." [...]

"I've known situations when a company had to pull a man off an assignment because his wife was / (p. 4) pregnant. They'd send a woman
instead.

"If bosses claim women are too emotional because they cry, I tell them women who cry have fewer ulcers and are medically more sound
than men who keep their feelings bottled up. I may cry a barrel but then I pick up the pieces and go on." [...]

"Fifteen years ago race was my main stumbling block to becoming an engineer. I'm now working on an internship in industry for my
engineering management master's degree.

"This time being a woman has been the main problem. There's an economic squeeze in Nashville and when companies hire, white men come
first, then white women, then black men and then me.

"But I think my employer at Ford Motor Company's glass plant stuck out his neck to choose me. After I finish I'll go to Vanderbilt
University for the final semester, then back to Tennessee State to teach.
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"With this extra practical experience, I'll be able to help my students more and convince the women that, like me, they can do it if
they try."

3: NOTABLE ABSENCES
Women of color

"Something about mechanical engineering
girls.
gives parents an idea it's a manual or

physical field," she said. "And, at

least in the South, black parents decide
what their kids will major in.




instead.




21
they try."

3: NOTABLE ABSENCES
Women of color

girls.
gives bosses claim women are too emotional
"If parents an idea it's a manual or

physical field," she said. them women who
because they cry, I tell "And, at

least have fewer ulcers and are medically
cry in the South, black parents decide
what their kids will major in. their
more sound than men who keep

feelings bottled up. I may cry a barrel
but then I pick up the pieces and go
on." [...]

instead.




21
they try."

3: NOTABLE ABSENCES
Women of color

girls.
gives bosses claim women are too emotional
"If parents an idea it's a manual or

physical field," sheago race waswomen who
because they years I said. them my main
"Fifteen cry, tell "And, at

leaststumbling block black parentsan engineer.
in the South, to becoming decide
cry have fewer ulcers and are medically
what I'm now than men on ankeep their in
more sound working major internship
their kids will who in.

feelings bottled my engineering management
industry for up. I may cry a barrel
but master'spick up the pieces and go
then I degree.
on." [...]
"This time being a woman has been the

instead. main problem. There's an economic
squeeze in Nashville and when companies

hire, white men come first, then white

women, then black men and then me.

21
they try."

3: NOTABLE ABSENCES
Lesbian engineers

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CONCLUSIONS

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CONCLUSIONS
• Why is this historical view helpful for today?

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CONCLUSIONS
• These frame stories told about women engineers

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CONCLUSIONS
• When were women engineers “hideous” and “mannish-
looking”?

23

CONCLUSIONS
looking”?
• Extremes help us see (perhaps) moderation

23

CONCLUSIONS
looking”? Revenge of the Nerdette
As geeks become chic in all levels of society, an unlikely
• Extremes help subset is starting to roar. Meet the Nerd Girls: they're
us see (perhaps) moderation
smart, they're techie and they're hot. [...]

The Nerd Girls may not look like your stereotypical pocket-
protector-loving misfits—their adviser, Karen Panetta, has a thing
for pink heels—but they're part of a growing breed of young
women who are claiming the nerd label for themselves. In doing
so, they're challenging the notion of what a geek should look like,
either by intentionally sexing up their tech personas, or by simply
finding no disconnect between their geeky pursuits and more
traditionally girly interests such as fashion, makeup and high
heels.
http://www.newsweek.com/2008/06/07/revenge-of-the-nerdette.html

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• Society of Women Engineers 60th Anniversary
Archive Project
• Troy Eller and the Society of Women Engineers
National Records Collection, Walter P. Reuther
Library, Wayne State University

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THANK YOU
Alice Pawley, apawley@purdue.edu
feministengineering.org

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ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Society of Women Engineers National Records Collection, Walter P.
Reuther Library, Wayne State University. Accession # 1539, Series XI,
Subseries A and B.
• Subseries A: “Clippings, articles and speeches, publications, statistics
and surveys, non-SWE conferences, and library materials that fall into
the general category, ‘women in engineering’” between 1885-2004
• Box 183: newspaper and magazine clippings from
• a clippings service, Press Intelligence, Inc. of Washington DC, in
1955
• articles sent in by SWE members
• Boxes 100: membership and section reports and committee
information, particularly of the Committee on Minority Concerns;
and
• Subseries B: Boxes 187, 191 and 192: Biographical materials
collected on particular SWE members and leaders.
26

ASEE 2010: ’The image of a woman engineer:' Women’s identities as engineers as portrayed by historical newspapers and magazines, 1930-1970.

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ASEE 2010: ’The image of a woman engineer:' Women’s identities as engineers as portrayed by historical newspapers and magazines, 1930-1970.