Ladies will be Present: The Early Decades of Women in Electrical Engineering

A Linda Hall Library Signature Event featuring NEH Fellow Dr. Allison Marsh.

When NEH Fellow Allison Marsh began her research at the Linda Hall Library, she had no doubt she would uncover women in the journals of America’s oldest electrical engineering society. Just because the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) didn’t admit its first woman until 1922, it didn’t mean they weren’t already there. But she was surprised to keep coming across a particular phrase when the AIEE announced upcoming meetings: “As usual on these occasions, ladies will be present.” It was as if the gentlemen members needed to be reminded that women existed and to be on their best behavior.

Come hear the stories of Edith Clarke, Mabel MacFerran Rockwell, and numerous other pioneering women from the early decades of electrical engineering. Learn how Dr. Marsh recovered the names and histories of the women who designed equipment, ran tests, created graphs, and calculated the answers for the research that pushed the discipline forward and see what’s next for publicizing their achievements.

Virtual attendance option

This program will be presented in-person at the Linda Hall Library. If you would prefer to watch this program virtually via Zoom webinar, please follow this link to register:

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE

Allison Marsh, PhD

Linda Hall Library, NEH Fellow, 2024-25

Allison Marsh combines her interests in engineering, history, and museums to tell stories of technology through historical artifacts. She likes to think of history as a Trojan horse to reach audiences who may not want to learn about tech. Her main research interests revolve around how the general public comes to understand complex engineering ideas, especially outside the classroom—through museums, documentaries, TV shows, and so on. She writes the monthly “Past Forward” column for IEEE Spectrum, and she was the consultant for the Crash Course History of Science series. She is an associate professor at the University of South Carolina where she is the co-director of the Ann Johnson Institute for Science, Technology & Society. Before coming to USC, she was curator and Winton M. Blount Research Chair at the Smithsonian Institution National Postal Museum.