Alice Perry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alice Perry
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| Born |
Alice Jacqueline Perry
24 October 1885 Wellpark House, Galway, Ireland
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| Died | 21 April 1969 (aged 83) Los Angeles
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| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | Royal University of Ireland, Galway |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Spouse(s) | John Shaw |
| Parent(s) | James Perry and Martha Perry |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Civil |
Alice Jacqueline Perry (born October 24, 1885 – died April 21, 1969) was a very important Irish engineer. She was one of the first women in Europe to earn a degree in engineering. This was a huge achievement for her time!
Early Life and Education
Alice was born in Wellpark, Galway, Ireland, in 1885. She grew up with four sisters and one brother. Her father, James Perry, was a county surveyor in Galway. This meant he was in charge of building and maintaining roads and bridges. He also helped start the Galway Electric Light Company. Alice's uncle, John Perry, was also a famous engineer. He even invented something called a navigational gyroscope, which helps ships and planes find their way.
Alice was very smart. After finishing high school in Galway, she won a scholarship to study at Queen's College Galway in 1902. She was really good at math. Because of this, she decided to switch from studying arts to studying engineering. In 1906, she graduated with top honors in civil engineering. This made her one of the very first women in Europe to become an engineer! Other pioneering women engineers included Rita de Morais Sarmento from Portugal and Agnes Klingberg, Betzy Meyer, and Julie Arenholt from Denmark.
Alice's family was full of talented people. Her sister Nettie became a Spanish lecturer at London University. Her sister Agnes Mary, known as Molly, was an amazing mathematician. She even taught at Queen's College Galway. Another sister, Martha, married a map expert, and their son, Joss Lynam, also became an engineer. All the Perry sisters were involved in the suffrage movement in Galway. This movement worked to get women the right to vote.
Career as an Engineer
After Alice graduated in 1906, she was offered a special scholarship to continue her studies. However, her father sadly passed away the next month. Because of this, she couldn't take the scholarship.
Instead, in December 1906, Alice temporarily took over her father's job as the county surveyor for Galway County Council. She worked in this important role for about five or six months. She tried to get the job permanently but wasn't chosen. She also applied for a similar job in Galway East but didn't get it either. Even today, Alice Perry is the only woman to have ever been a county surveyor (or county engineer) in Ireland.
In 1908, Alice moved to London with her sisters. There, she worked as a factory inspector for the Home Office. This meant she checked factories to make sure they were safe for workers. Later, she moved to Glasgow. In 1915, she changed her religion to Christian Science. On September 30, 1916, she married John Shaw, who was a soldier. Sadly, John died in 1917 during World War I on the Western Front.
Later Life and Legacy
Alice retired from her job as a factory inspector in 1921. She then became very interested in writing poetry. Her first book of poems was published in 1922. In 1923, she moved to Boston, USA, which is where the main Christian Science church is located.
Alice spent the rest of her life working with the Christian Science movement. She was a poetry editor and helped people through her faith. She published seven books of poetry before she passed away in 1969.
Alice Perry's nephew, Joss Lynam, gave a collection of her poems to NUI Galway in 1996. To honor her, a special award called The Alice Perry Medal was created. The first medals were given out in 2014.
On March 6, 2017, NUI Galway held a special ceremony. They officially named their engineering building the "Alice Perry Engineering Building." This was a wonderful way to remember her amazing achievements and inspire future engineers.
See Also
In Spanish: Alice Perry para niños
