Dorothy Hoffman facts for kids

Dorothy M. Hoffman (born September 12, 1915 – died December 13, 1996) was an amazing American engineer. She made history in 1974 by becoming the first woman to be chosen as President of the American Vacuum Society. This also made her the first woman to lead any scientific society in the entire USA!

Early Life and Education

Dorothy Hoffman was born in New York City. She went to the City University of New York. Before becoming an engineer, she was a talented concert pianist. She even performed at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia!

Later, she decided to study engineering. She earned her Bachelor's degree (B.S.) in Chemical Engineering in 1947. She got this from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The next year, in 1948, she earned her Master's degree (M.S.). This was also in Chemical Engineering, from Bucknell University.

A Career in Thin Films

Dorothy Hoffman was an expert in something called thin-film technology. Think of thin films as super-thin layers of material. They are often used in electronics and optics.

Her first engineering job was at General Electric. She had to figure out why spots were appearing on dishes. These dishes were cleaned in Hotpoint dishwashers.

Soon after, she and her husband, Earl, moved to Philadelphia. There, she worked for International Resistance Co. She started as a Research Engineer. Later, she was promoted to lead the Process Development team. During this time, she helped create special resistors. These resistors were made using evaporated metal films.

In 1961, Dorothy made history again. She became the first woman invited to join the Engineers' Club of Philadelphia.

Working at Sarnoff Labs

In 1962, she joined the RCA David Sarnoff Research Laboratory. She worked there until she retired in 1994. At Sarnoff Labs, she led the Thin Film Technology Service Group.

Her team developed special coatings. These coatings were used on many important things. This included solar cells, optical video discs, and parts for kinescopes. They also worked on optical wave guides.

Dorothy's hard work earned her awards. She received the RCA Laboratories Outstanding Achievement Award in 1968. In 1973, she got the Video Disc Achievement Award. Her teaching, writings, and patents helped advance thin-film technology a lot.

When she retired in 1990, she was the Head of the Thin Film Laboratory. This was at the David Sarnoff Research Center. She had worked there for 28 years!

Helping Women in Engineering

Dorothy Hoffman was very active in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). She helped at both local and national levels. She served on their Board of Trustees from 1980 to 1989.

In 1984, she was named a SWE Fellow. This is a special honor for members. In her will, she left money for SWE scholarships. She also supported new career guidance programs. These programs help young women interested in engineering.

Leading the American Vacuum Society

In 1974, Dorothy achieved a major milestone. She became the first woman elected President of the American Vacuum Society. This was a huge step forward for women in science. She was the first woman to lead any scientific society in the USA.

Even after retiring, she continued to volunteer. She helped the American Vacuum Society. In 1993, she started a big project. She wanted to create a handbook for vacuum scientists and engineers. This was to celebrate the society's 40th anniversary.

Her effort led to the popular "Handbook of Vacuum Science and Technology." This book was published by Academic Press. Dorothy was the main co-editor of this important book.

To honor her contributions, the American Vacuum Society created an award in 2002. It's called the Dorothy M. and Earl S. Hoffman student award. It recognizes and encourages excellent graduate students. These students study sciences and technologies important to the AVS.