Bertha Lamme
MECHANICAL ENGINEER (1869 - 1943)
Born in 1869, Bertha Lamme was the first
woman to graduate from Ohio University with
an engineering degree, a feat so admired
there was spontaneous applause when she
received her degree. Continuing her
trailblazing path, she became the first female
engineer hired by Westinghouse Electric and
Manufacturing Company, where she worked
on motors and generators. Although she left
Westinghouse after her marriage, as was
traditional in those times, she is remembered
as a 'women in a man's world', a true
innovator.
Victoria Drummond
MARINE ENGINEER (1894 - 1978)
The first female marine engineer in the UK,
Victoria was interested in engineering from a
young age and, thanks to encouraging
parents, did apprenticeships with shipbuilding
and engineering companies. Finally, in 1922,
she fulfilled her dreams of working at sea, as
an assistant engineer. She was determined to
qualify as Chief Engineer, but failed the exam
every time, for no other reason than because
she was a woman. She joined the Merchant
Navy in WW2, and was awarded an
MBE from the King. After the war she
continued to work on boats, often fighting
prejudice and discrimination because of her
gender. After her death she was inducted into
the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame and
continues to inspire girls interested in STEM,
particularly in her native Scotland.
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