Katharine Stinson
Katharine Stinson | |
---|---|
Fuquay Varina, North Carolina | |
Died | July 29, 2001 | (aged 83)
Nationality | American |
Education | North Carolina State University |
Engineering career | |
Discipline | aeronautical engineering |
Employer(s) | Federal Aviation Administration |
Projects | air worthiness |
Significant design | supersonic transport standards |
Awards | FAA 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
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
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 responded by accepting a scholarship to nearby
Career
Following graduation, Stinson was the first female engineer hired by the
During her career, she was active in the
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[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
- ^ ISBN 9780784408353.
- ^ a b c d e f "Katharine Stinson Papers, 1937-2001 | NCSU Special Collections Research Center Collection Guides". North Carolina State Libraries.
- ^ "Katharine Stinson". Society of Women Engineers.
- ^ Rice, Tony (June 13, 2016). "Amelia Earhart's advice spurred NC State's 1st female engineering grad". WRAL.com.
- ^ "Katharine Stinson". Society of Women Engineers. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "The Woman Engineer Vol 10". www2.theiet.org. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ "NCSU Timelines". historicalstate.lib.ncsu.edu.
- Layne, [edited by] Margaret E. (2009). Women in engineering. Reston, Va.: ASCE Press. )