Beatrice Hicks

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Beatrice Alice Hicks (1919-1979) was a prominent woman engineer, helping to found the Society of Women Engineers in the 1950.

Born in Orange, New Jersey she received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Newark College of Engineering in 1939, a master's degree in physics from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1949, a doctorate of science from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 1958, and the first doctorate in engineering awarded to a woman from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1965. She married Rodney Duane Chipp in 1948.

In 1941, Beatrice became the first woman employee of Western Electric. After her father's death in 1946 she joined his company Newark Controls Company as vice president and chief engineer. In 1955 she became president of the company.

[edit] References

  • [1] World Book
  • [2] National Woman's Hall of Fame
  • [3] Society of Woman Engineers