Repository: UIHistories Project: SWE - News Clippings Book [PAGE 47]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

Women in Engineering

by Pat Martin

In small but increasing numbers, American women are distinguishing themselves as engineers. T h e persisting idea that engineering is a hard and rough occupation unsuitable for women has been refuted by the women who have pioneered and succeeded in this field. Today the tremendous number of women in all Russian technical fields shows us an excellent example of how this untapped resource can be utilized. Surprisingly, this utilization of women has not slackened their pace, but rather helped them in the space race and certain other areas. In America, as prejudices are slowly decreasing, the number of women in engineering has increased. In 1950 there were some 6,500 women engineers, in contrast to less than 750 in 1940. All evidence indicates this rising trend will continue. Women who choose—for one reason or another—to enter engineering have before them a varied, interesting, and exciting college career. Even now, with many successful women in engineering, college girls are often advised not to enter engineering. As a result many potential women engineers never experience the challenge, excitement, and pride of an engineering profession. T h e first challenge comes when someone asks what you are majoring in. A woman engineering student soon learns to tolerate criticism and those who come up with the universal questions such as, "Did you go into engineering just because that is where all the man are?" T h e challenge comes in proving to the world that all women engineers are not two-headed, sexless creatures who wear shapeless dresses and horn - rimmed glasses. T h e challenge comes in wearing skirts and being feminine in a traditionally man's world, and still proving that you can do a good job. And the challenge comes most of all in making it success . . . in getting through college and earning that treasured degree , . . in going into industry and being an MARCH, 1963

asset to your country and your employer. T h e excitement comes in many ways. I t comes while standing in lines those first few days and returning wondering stares of the men about you. It comes during the first classroom days when you notice the ratio of men to women, and when your instructors persistently call the roll it is always Smith, Brown, White, and then, Miss Jones. It comes from figuring out a difficult problem or from receiving a good exam grade. I t comes from winning the respect of the people around you, men and women. I t also comes in a very special way when you attend a dance with your special beau and meet the people from your classes who stare in wonder and obvious admiration to see you at a dance with a boy and really looking quite feminine and pretty. I t comes in dating men and being able to talk to them intelligently; in being able to listen and understand. I t comes most of all when you discover that you are finally being treated as an equal; the men around you have accepted you and are ready to help you and to be helped, are ready to accept the astonishing fact that you are a woman engineer and most of all a Woman. I t has often been said that college life is the most exciting time of a woman's life. I t is sometimes hard to realize that this is doubly true of a woman engineering student. She has all of the normal exciternent, and so much more if she can only meet the challenge. And tbfen there is Pride . . . that funny little word that creates an inner glow that can grow into a fire . . . that funny little word that drives people onward to bigger and better goals . . . that makes them try harder when it seems almost impossible . . . that word that makes a person want to be different and special . . . that drives someone to the point of exhaustion and leaves them happy merely because they are proud of their accomplishment, and they can see pride reflecting in the faces of the

people around them. Pride . . . an undefinable word that means the world. It is a sparkle of happiness that you are doing what you are doing, a fascinating aura of joy that you are what you are and nothing else. This is what it takes to become a good woman engineer. This is the spirit, combined with dedication and hard work, which caused our pioneering women to become engineers and to succeed in spite of what society and near-sighted people said and did to make it hard for them. Today the problem is supplying adequate high school counseling to women whose aptitudes in math and science point to an engineering career. T h e Society of Women Engineers is trying to help in this respect by counseling high school seniors. In the coming years it is possible to envisage more and more women making a success in engineering. At the present moment there are 23 women enrolled in engineering at the University of Illinois. These women are scattered throughout all branches of engineering. T h e rumors of hard work and no fun are partly correct. T r u e , engineering isn't easy; but in actuality few free things are worthwhile. A woman should not be forced into engineering. I t must be something she freely elects with her eyes open and her chin firmly set, since there are times when things seem almost impossible to bear; times then the easy thing to do would be to simply give up and try something else. A young woman entering engineering must be fully aware of what she is doing. She must be proud of her work and stand up for it; she must be ready to give up some of the small things she wants now and keep sight of the further more important goals; she must be ready to meet the challenges that will inevitably come. But the thing to remember is that when it is all done, and the hardships and worries are over, you will have something, something special, precious, and worth much more than it cost. • • • THE TECHNOGRAPH