Repository: UIHistories Project: SWE - Proceedings of the First International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists [PAGE 17]

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world today. You will recall my opening statement: That we live in a time when our worth as individuals depends on the ability of the total human race to achieve the maturity of self-recognition and self-discipline. We feel that without that maturity a blind and undirected pursuit of technology for its own sake could destroy human dignity and thus become a force for evil. And so we shall try in this Conference to look at the future technological needs of a peaceful world and to define those areas of endeavour in which our scientifically inclined and inventive youth of today -- boys and girls alike -can find their opportunities for service to their fellow men of tomorrow. As Delegates it will be our responsibility during the several sessions to formulate resolutions and guidelines that young people can use for inspiration and guidance in choosing their own cultural and educational patterns, and in setting their own life goals. As we approach this task, let us try to recognize and understand some fundamental and well justified differences in the underlying interests of the groups you Delegates represent. We women want more women engineers and scientists because we know more women want to become engineers and scientists; industry wants more women engineers and scientists in the high demand fields to fill its deficits, thus stabilizing supply and demand, so it can gain a more even distribution for its engineering and development costs; education wants more women students so it can meet industrial and governmental demands for the most highly qualified graduates, and so it can maintain and expand its plant in the face of stable male enrollments; and government wants more women so it can both develop a strategic manpower reserve in critical categories and stabilize the costs of its engineering requirements. These are not necessarily harmonious objectives, and thus we must all look deep into our own motives before we can hope to achieve the essential balance in human values which is one of the major objectives of this Conference. And so, ladies and gentlemen, with these comments I hereby formally open the First International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists, and the Fourteenth Annual Convention of the Society of Women Engineers. May we be guided rightly in our work.

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