Jump to content

Katharine Stinson: Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m Link repair: Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots -> Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots - You can help!
No edit summary
 
(38 intermediate revisions by 22 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|American aeronautical engineer}}
{{for|the aviator|Katherine Stinson}}
{{for|the aviator|Katherine Stinson}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| honorific_prefix =
Line 36: Line 39:
}}
}}


'''Katharine Stinson''' was an American aeronautical engineer and the [[Federal Aviation Administration]]'s first female engineer. Born in [[Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina]] 14 years after the Wright Brothers made their first flight on North Carolina's Outer Banks, Stinson loved airplanes. A ride from famed aviator [[Edward Stinson|Eddie Stinson]] (no relation) solidified her goal of learning to fly.<ref name="true stories of women engineers">{{cite book|last1=Hatch|first1=Sybil E.|title=Changing our world : true stories of women engineers|date=2006|publisher=American Soc. of Civil Engineers|location=Reston, Va|isbn=9780784408353|pages=145}}</ref>
'''Katharine Stinson''' (1917-2001) was an American [[Aerospace engineering|aeronautical engineer]] and the [[Federal Aviation Administration]]'s first female engineer.<ref>{{cite web |title=Katharine Stinson |url=https://swe.org/membership/katharine-stinson/ |website=Society of Women Engineers}}</ref>


== Early life ==
⚫
While working as a mechanic's assistant at the [[Raleigh Municipal Airport]] at age 15, Stinson met [[Amelia Earhart]]. When Stinson told Earhart about her flight training, Earhart encouraged her to study engineering instead telling her that she would never make enough money as a pilot. Stinson took that advice, enrolling in physics classes in high school and applied to the engineering program at [[North Carolina State University|North Carolina State College]].<ref name=papers>{{cite web|title=Katharine Stinson Papers, 1937-2001 {{!}} NCSU Special Collections Research Center Collection Guides|url=http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/findingaids/mc00256/|publisher=North Carolina State Libraries}}</ref>
Born in [[Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina]], 14 years after the Wright Brothers made their first flight on North Carolina's Outer Banks, Stinson loved airplanes. A ride from famed aviator [[Edward Stinson|Eddie Stinson]] (no relation) when she was 10 years old solidified her goal of learning to fly.<ref name="true stories of women engineers">{{cite book|last1=Hatch|first1=Sybil E.|title=Changing our world : true stories of women engineers|url=https://archive.org/details/changingourworld00hatc|url-access=registration|date=2006|publisher=American Soc. of Civil Engineers|location=Reston, Va|isbn=9780784408353|pages=[https://archive.org/details/changingourworld00hatc/page/145 145]}}</ref>


While working as a mechanic's assistant at the [[Raleigh Municipal Airport]] at age 15, Stinson met [[Amelia Earhart]]. When Stinson told Earhart about her flight training, Earhart encouraged her to study engineering instead, telling her that she would never make enough money as a pilot.<ref name="papers" />
⚫
Stinson's 1936 application to the engineering school was declined by Dean Wallace Riddick who met with her explaining that the college would not accept women as freshman. Stinson responded by accepting a scholarship to nearby [[Meredith College]] where she completed all 48 required credit hours in a single year. She enrolled in the engineering program the following fall as one of the few female students at the college and only female in the engineering department. She graduated in 1941 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering with an aeronautical option, the first woman to do so at the college and one of just five women in the country that year to earn a degree in engineering or architecture.<ref name=papers/>


== Education ==
⚫
Following graduation, she was the first female engineer hired by the [[Civil Aviation Administration]]. During her 32-year career she specialized in aircraft safety developing standards for supersonic transports which were used to create the [[concorde]] and pioneering distribution of aircraft structural issues. She retired from the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] in 1974 as Technical Assistant to the Chief of Aircraft Engineering.
⚫
Stinson took Earhart's advice, and enrolled in physics classes in high school and applied to the engineering program at [[North Carolina State University|North Carolina State College]].<ref name="papers">{{cite web|title=Katharine Stinson Papers, 1937-2001 {{!}} NCSU Special Collections Research Center Collection Guides|url=http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/findingaids/mc00256/|publisher=North Carolina State Libraries}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rice|first1=Tony|title=Amelia Earhart's advice spurred NC State's 1st female engineering grad|url=http://www.wral.com/amelia-earhart-s-advice-spurred-nc-state-s-1st-female-engineering-grad/15775707/|work=WRAL.com|date=13 June 2016}}</ref>


⚫
Stinson's 1936 application to the engineering school was declined by Dean [[Wallace Riddick]] who met with her explaining that the college would not accept women as freshmen. Stinson instead accepted a scholarship to nearby [[Meredith College]] where she completed all 48 required credit hours in a single year. Women engineer supporter [[Blake R Van Leer]] admitted her and encouraged other women to join the engineering program. She enrolled in the engineering program the following fall as one of the few female students at the college and the only female in the engineering department. She graduated in 1941 with a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering with an Aeronautical option, becoming the first woman to do so at N.C. State, and one of just five women in the country that year to earn a degree in engineering or architecture.<ref name=papers/>
⚫
During her career she was active in the [[Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots]] and helped found the [[Society of Women Engineers]] where she served as president from 1953 to 1955. She also served on President [[Lyndon Johnson]]'s Women's Advisory Committee on Aviation from 1964 to 1970, served as an officer in the [[Institute of Aeronautical Sciences]]. Stinson also belonged to the [[Soroptimist Club]], serving president from 1970 to 1972.<ref name=papers/>

== Career ==
[[File:Society of Women Engineers 1953.jpg|left|thumb|Society of Women Engineers 1953]]
⚫
Following graduation, Stinson was the first female engineer hired by the [[Civil Aviation Administration]]. During her 32-year career, she specialized in aircraft safety, developing standards for supersonic transports which were used to create the [[Concorde]], and pioneering distribution of aircraft structural issues. She retired from the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] in 1974 as Technical Assistant to the Chief of Aircraft Engineering.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rice|first1=Tony|title=Amelia Earhart's advice spurred NC State's 1st female engineering grad|url=http://www.wral.com/amelia-earhart-s-advice-spurred-nc-state-s-1st-female-engineering-grad/15775707/|work=WRAL.com|date=June 13, 2016}}</ref>

⚫
During her career, she was active in the [[Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots]] and helped found the [[Society of Women Engineers]] where she served as president from 1953 to 1955. SWE started as a small organization and quickly became a national organization with sections coast-to-coast.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Katharine Stinson|url=https://swe.org/membership/swes-past-presidents/katharine-stinson/|access-date=June 24, 2020|website=Society of Women Engineers|language=en-US}}</ref> She also served on President [[Lyndon Johnson]]'s Women's Advisory Committee on Aviation from 1964 to 1970 and served as an officer in the [[Institute of Aeronautical Sciences]]. Stinson also belonged to the [[Soroptimist Club]], serving as president from 1970 to 1972.<ref name=papers/>

In 1967, Stinson attended the second [[International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists]] (ICWES) in [[Cambridge]], UK, and spoke about the role of aircraft in food production.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The Woman Engineer Vol 10|url=https://www2.theiet.org/resources/library/archives/research/wes/WES_Vol_10.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=December 13, 2020|website=www2.theiet.org}}</ref>


In 1997 North Carolina State University named her a distinguished alumnus and named Katharine Stinson Drive on campus in her honor.<ref>{{cite web|title=NCSU Timelines|url=http://historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu/timelines/women|website=historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu}}</ref>
In 1997 North Carolina State University named her a distinguished alumnus and named Katharine Stinson Drive on campus in her honor.<ref>{{cite web|title=NCSU Timelines|url=http://historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu/timelines/women|website=historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu}}</ref>

== Awards<ref name="true stories of women engineers" /><ref name=papers/> ==
== Awards ==
Sources:<ref name="true stories of women engineers" /><ref name=papers/>
* FAA Sustained Performance Award (1961)
* FAA Sustained Performance Award (1961)
* North Carolina State University College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni (1977, first woman to receive the honor)
* North Carolina State University College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni (1977, first woman to receive the honor)
Line 58: Line 71:
==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
*{{cite book|last1=Layne|first1=[edited by] Margaret E.|title=Women in engineering.|date=2009|publisher=ASCE Press|location=Reston, Va.|isbn=9780784472354}}

{{authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Stinson, Katharine}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stinson, Katharine}}
[[Category:Women in engineering]]
[[Category:1917 births]]
[[Category:1917 births]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:2001 deaths]]
[[Category:Aeronautical engineers]]
[[Category:American women engineers]]
[[Category:20th-century American engineers]]
[[Category:People from Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina]]
[[Category:Engineers from North Carolina]]
[[Category:20th-century American women]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Society of Women Engineers]]

Latest revision as of 19:38, 13 November 2024

For the aviator, see Katherine Stinson.

Katharine Stinson
Born(1917-09-18)September 18, 1917
Fuquay Varina, North Carolina
DiedJuly 29, 2001(2001-07-29) (aged 83)
Pinehurst, North Carolina
NationalityAmerican
EducationNorth Carolina State University
Engineering career
Disciplineaeronautical engineering
Employer(s)Federal Aviation Administration
Projectsair worthiness
Significant designsupersonic transport standards
AwardsFAA Sustained Performance Award (1961),[1] Distinguished Women in the Aerospace Industry Award (1984), the Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Aviation Pioneer of the Year and Aerospace Engineer of the Year awards (1987 and 1988).[2]

Katharine Stinson (1917-2001) was an American aeronautical engineer and the Federal Aviation Administration's first female engineer.[3]

Early life

[edit]

Born in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, 14 years after the Wright Brothers made their first flight on North Carolina's Outer Banks, Stinson loved airplanes. A ride from famed aviator Eddie Stinson (no relation) when she was 10 years old solidified her goal of learning to fly.[1]

While working as a mechanic's assistant at the Raleigh Municipal Airport at age 15, Stinson met Amelia Earhart. When Stinson told Earhart about her flight training, Earhart encouraged her to study engineering instead, telling her that she would never make enough money as a pilot.[2]

Education

[edit]

Stinson took Earhart's advice, and enrolled in physics classes in high school and applied to the engineering program at North Carolina State College.[2]

Stinson's 1936 application to the engineering school was declined by Dean Wallace Riddick who met with her explaining that the college would not accept women as freshmen. Stinson instead accepted a scholarship to nearby Meredith College where she completed all 48 required credit hours in a single year. Women engineer supporter Blake R Van Leer admitted her and encouraged other women to join the engineering program. She enrolled in the engineering program the following fall as one of the few female students at the college and the only female in the engineering department. She graduated in 1941 with a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering with an Aeronautical option, becoming the first woman to do so at N.C. State, and one of just five women in the country that year to earn a degree in engineering or architecture.[2]

Career

[edit]
Society of Women Engineers 1953

Following graduation, Stinson was the first female engineer hired by the Civil Aviation Administration. During her 32-year career, she specialized in aircraft safety, developing standards for supersonic transports which were used to create the Concorde, and pioneering distribution of aircraft structural issues. She retired from the Federal Aviation Administration in 1974 as Technical Assistant to the Chief of Aircraft Engineering.[4]

During her career, she was active in the Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots and helped found the Society of Women Engineers where she served as president from 1953 to 1955. SWE started as a small organization and quickly became a national organization with sections coast-to-coast.[5] She also served on President Lyndon Johnson's Women's Advisory Committee on Aviation from 1964 to 1970 and served as an officer in the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences. Stinson also belonged to the Soroptimist Club, serving as president from 1970 to 1972.[2]

In 1967, Stinson attended the second International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES) in Cambridge, UK, and spoke about the role of aircraft in food production.[6]

In 1997 North Carolina State University named her a distinguished alumnus and named Katharine Stinson Drive on campus in her honor.[7]

Awards

[edit]

Sources:[1][2]

  • FAA Sustained Performance Award (1961)
  • North Carolina State University College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni (1977, first woman to receive the honor)
  • Distinguished Women in the Aerospace Industry Award (1984)
  • Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Aviation Pioneer of the Year
  • Aerospace Engineer of the Year awards (1987 and 1988)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Hatch, Sybil E. (2006). Changing our world : true stories of women engineers. Reston, Va: American Soc. of Civil Engineers. pp. 145. ISBN 9780784408353.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Katharine Stinson Papers, 1937-2001 | NCSU Special Collections Research Center Collection Guides". North Carolina State Libraries.
  3. ^ "Katharine Stinson". Society of Women Engineers.
  4. ^ Rice, Tony (June 13, 2016). "Amelia Earhart's advice spurred NC State's 1st female engineering grad". WRAL.com.
  5. ^ "Katharine Stinson". Society of Women Engineers. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  6. ^ "The Woman Engineer Vol 10". www2.theiet.org. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  7. ^ "NCSU Timelines". historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu.
  • Layne, [edited by] Margaret E. (2009). Women in engineering. Reston, Va.: ASCE Press. ISBN 9780784472354. {{cite book}}: |first1= has generic name (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Katharine_Stinson&oldid=1257202176"