7-Sep-05 WES History

THE WOMEN’S ENGINEERING SOCIETY

A Little Bit of History

Dorothy Hatfield

WES Conference 2005

7-Sep-05 WES History

7-Sep-05 WES History

In the Beginning

• Scene: The end of the war to end all wars– Very real issues concerning the continuing employment of women

engineers who had made a huge contribution to the war effort.– Opposition from government, industry, unions

• Cast: Some remarkable women:

• Lady Katherine Parsons - wife of Sir Charles Parsons and a keen amateur

• Rachel M Parsons - their daughter, a qualified engineer

• Margaret Lady Moir - Women Engineering Relief Workers

• Verena Holmes - propeller gluer became centre lathe turner

• Margaret Partridge - electrical engineer who owned and ran a power station

• Catalyst: National Union of Women Workers > National Council of Women

• Outcome: The Women’s Engineering Society (WES) - 1919

7-Sep-05 WES History

The Early Days

• The Aim:• To promote the study and practice of engineering among

women; and, secondly to enable technical women to meet and to facilitate the exchange of ideas respecting the interests, training and employment of technical women and the publication and communication of information on such subjects.

• Enter Caroline Haslett - “organising secretary”

• Early Activities– Branches - 6 formed by 1920 – Conference - first Annual Conference 1923 (Birmingham)– The Woman Engineer - first issue December 1919– International - early contacts

7-Sep-05 WES History

20 Years of Peace 1920-1940• Swing away from semi-skilled and skilled trades towards

professional engineering.• Discord between Lady Parsons and Caroline Haslett• By 1922 most of the institutions admitted women• Education and training progress slow• 1924 - formation of the Electrical association for Women to promote

the use of electricity in the home• 1925 - International Conference London• Depression of the early 30s brings major difficulties:

– high unemployment discourages female employment, particularly married women

– branches disappear

• Aviation becomes new opportunity area for women engineers– Amy Johnson joins WES, President 1935-1937

– Aeronautical section of WES leads in 1957 to the British Women Pilots Association

7-Sep-05 WES History

War Again

• Women again needed in the workplace.• More recognition of their ability to make contributions at

all levels.• Caroline Haslett advisor to Ministry of Labour• Membership soared to nearly 300• Branches revived

7-Sep-05 WES History

More Remarkable Women

• Dame Caroline Haslett• Amy Johnson CBE• Marjorie Bell• Isabel Hardwich

7-Sep-05 WES History

…and Peace Again 1946-1969

• Marriage bar re-introduced• WES participates in the annual Engineering

Exhibition at Olympia• Expansion of International links

– ICWES1 1964 (New York)– ICWES2 1967 Cambridge

• 1969– 50th birthday!– Women in Engineering Year– First Verena Holmes Lecture

7-Sep-05 WES History

Lean Years and Resurgence 1970-1988

• WES struggles to keep going financially• First Company Members• First Student Groups• 1984 - WISE Year• Membership up to 800• 1985 - Daphne Jackson Returners

Fellowships - pilot scheme• WES becomes a Charity

7-Sep-05 WES History

The 90s

• ICWES9 at Warwick University• Branches in decline• Circles as alternative• More Student Groups

7-Sep-05 WES History

Homes and Secretaries(not necessarily complete)

• 46 Dover Street• 26 George Street• Regent Street• 25 Foubert’s Place• Imperial College• c/o SEMTA - Dartmouth

Street, Old Queen Street• c/o IEE Stevenage

• Caroline Haslett• Thelma Davies• Anneliese Souteriou• Gwen Maxwell• Catherine MacGillivray

7-Sep-05 WES History

Daughters of WES

• The Electrical Association for Women• The British Women Pilots’ Association• The Daphne Jackson Trust

• …and now MentorSET

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….and More Remarkable Women

• Cicely Thompson MBE• Rose Winslade OBE - Asst Sec CEI • Peggy Hodges OBE• Gwen (Bunty) Howard• Betty Laverick OBE - Asst Sec IEE

• May Maple• Daphne Jackson OBE

7-Sep-05 WES History

A Changing World

THEN• Very real and widespread

barriers to the education and employment of women engineers

• Need to help women who already were or wanted to be engineers

• Issues not recognised by government and establishment bodies

• Body of well-off and influential women, often the wives of engineers, to lead the initiative

• London was the centre of communication

NOW• Discrimination subtle and covert

• Women isolated in their workplace want networking opportunities

• Issues identified and well known if not always tackled

• Need to encourage women (and men) to take up and continue in engineering

• Some government support eg UKRC

• Volunteers have jobs and families to consider

• Electronic communications etc enable remote working

7-Sep-05 WES History

The Changing WES

• We should continually review our aims and strategies.

• We should not be afraid to consider radical change.• We should recognise that it may not be appropriate

for WES to live for ever.