Finding the Golden Threads: A History of (some) Women in Chemical Engineering

The profession of chemical engineering can, rightly, hold its head up high when it comes to demonstrating that more women seem to wish to enter its ranks, globally, than some other branches of engineering. This paper will summarise some of the statistics supporting this statement and will demonstrate how this has come about. From the history of chemical engineering undertaken by medieval ‘alchemists’, such as Frenchwoman Marie Meurdrac (c.1610-80CE), to the latest projects in nanoscale chemical products, a selection of women’s biographies will be used to show how women have worked in different eras across the world.

Many of the earliest women in this paper were never described by the 20^th century definition of ‘chemical engineer’ during their lifetimes, hence we define our examples by what they did rather than any labels or qualifications. It is notoriously difficult in researching women’s history to be sure of who was the ‘First woman to do X’ but some such claims are examined. Do we count American Marion Rice Hart as the first female chemical engineering graduate (MIT, 1914) because that was the description of her degree? What about Romanian Elisa Leonida-Zamfirescu’s degree in engineering with chemistry (Royal Academy of Technology, Berlin, 1912)?

Although there are extant studies of the histories of women in chemistry and in engineering, the authors believe that their project, from which these sample histories derive, is the first attempt at an in-depth research into the international history of women in chemical engineering. Perhaps some of the fascinating women we have discovered might become inspiring portraits hanging on academic walls alongside the aged paintings of long-gone men.

If engineering is to be a diverse field which women wish to enter, at all levels, it helps to have pride in a great history as well as a promising future.