Elsie Eaves facts for kids

Elsie Eaves (born May 5, 1898 – died March 27, 1983) was an amazing American engineer. She was a true pioneer for women in engineering. Elsie was the first woman to become an associate member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). She also helped start the American Association of Cost Engineers. This group is now called AACE International.

Early Life and School Days

Elsie Eaves was born in Idaho Springs, Colorado. She studied civil engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She earned her degree in 1920.

In 1918, Elsie made history at her university. She was chosen as the first female president of the student engineering group. It was called the Combined Engineers. This was so unusual that engineering magazines across the country wrote about it!

Elsie also supported other women in engineering. In 1919, she helped Lou Alta Melton and Hilda Counts create a new group. It was called the American Society of Women Engineers and Architects.

Elsie started gaining engineering experience even before she finished college. By age 22, she was the first woman to get a civil engineering degree from her university.

Elsie's Engineering Career

Elsie Eaves started her career as a draftsman. She worked for the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads in Denver, Colorado. Later, she worked for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Company.

In 1925, she joined the Women's Engineering Society. At that time, it was the only group for women engineers in the world. She stayed a member throughout her career.

Working at McGraw-Hill

In 1926, Elsie began working for McGraw-Hill in New York City. She joined the Engineering News-Record (ENR) Department. This was a weekly magazine about construction. She also managed sales for the McGraw-Hill Construction Daily.

In 1927, Elsie became the first woman to be a full member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Later, in 1945, she became the manager of Business News at McGraw-Hill.

Important Projects and Contributions

In 1929, Elsie created the first national list of sewage disposal systems. This included facilities for cities and industries. Next, she collected information on construction projects that were needed. This work helped the construction industry during the Great Depression.

After World War II, Elsie led a project for ENR. She measured how much "Post War Planning" the construction industry was doing. This became the official report on the industry's progress.

Elsie worked for McGraw-Hill's Engineering News-Record for 37 years.

Retirement and Later Years

Elsie retired in 1963. But she didn't stop working! She became an adviser to the National Commission on Urban Affairs. She helped them understand housing costs. She also advised the International Executive Service Corps about construction costs in Iran.

In 1967, Elsie attended the second International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES) in Cambridge, UK. In 1972, she wrote about her fellow engineer, Ruth Shafer, after Ruth passed away. Ruth had led the first ICWES conference.

In 1974, Elsie received the George Norlin Silver Medal. This is the highest award given to alumni by the University of Colorado. In 1979, she was the first woman to get an honorary lifetime membership to the American Association of Cost Engineers.

In 1980, Elsie was honored with the Fellow award at the Society of Women Engineers National Convention. She had been a member of this group since 1950.

Elsie Eaves passed away on March 27, 1983, in Roslyn, New York. She was 84 years old.

Amazing Achievements

Elsie Eaves achieved many "firsts" in her life:

• She was the first female president of the University of Colorado at Boulder’s student engineering society.
• She was the first woman to be elected as an Associate Member, Member, Fellow, and Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
• She was the first woman and first civil engineer to be elected as a Member of the American Association of Cost Engineers. She also became the first woman to receive an Honorary Life Membership from this group.
• She was the first woman elected as a Chapter Honor Member of the Chi Epsilon fraternity.
• She was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award from the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado.
• She was the first woman to receive the International Executive Service Corps "Service to Country" Award.
• She was the first woman to receive the Award of Merit from the American Association of Cost Engineers.