Marylin Jorgensen Reece
CIVIL ENGINEER (1926 - 2004)
Marilyn Jorgenson Reece graduated at the
University of Minnesota with a bachelor's
degree in engineering in 1948 and progressed
on to work as part of the California State
Division of Highways, where she became the
first fully licensed female civil engineer in
1954. Reece designed the interchange of the
Santa Monica Freeway in Los Angeles, the
first designed highway in California by a
woman. When she retired, Reece taught
engineering at the California State University
at Long Beach and was awarded a life
member position of the American Society of
Civil Engineers in 1991. Years after her death,
in her memory, the interchange she designed
was renamed the Marilyn Jorgenson Reece
Memorial Interchange.
Elsie Eaves
CIVIL ENGINEER (1898 - 1983)
Elsie Eaves graduated in 1920 with a degree
in civil engineering at the University of
Colorado. Soon after, she became employed
from the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads,
working on the Colorado State Highway and
Denver and Rio Grande railroads. Eaves was
the first woman to become a full member of
the American Society of Civil Engineers, in
1927. Making a career change, Eaves joined
the Engineering and News-Record, as an
assistant manager in marketing, eventually
becoming the manager of the construction
economics department. Eaves was also the
first woman to become a member of the
American Association of Cost Engineers in
1957, where she was eventually awarded with
their Honorary Life Membership.
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