Margaret Ingels facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Ingels
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | October 25, 1892 |
| Died | December 13, 1971 (aged 79) |
| Education | B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, 1916 |
| Alma mater | University of Kentucky |
| Occupation | Mechanical Engineering |
| Employer | Carrier-Lyle Corporation |
| Known for | Pioneer in the development of air conditioning. First female engineering graduate from the University of Kentucky; second woman engineering graduate in the United States; first woman to receive the professional degree of Mechanical Engineer. |
Margaret Ingels (born October 25, 1892 – died December 13, 1971) was a groundbreaking American engineer. She made history as the very first woman to graduate with an engineering degree from the University of Kentucky in 1916. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering.
Margaret was also the second woman in the entire United States to graduate with an engineering degree. Later, she became the first woman to receive a special professional degree in Mechanical Engineering. Her important work in air conditioning helped us understand how to make indoor spaces comfortable. She helped create a way to measure "effective temperature," which considers humidity and air movement for human comfort.
Early Life and Education
Margaret Ingels was born on October 25, 1892, in Paris, Kentucky. From a young age, she was very curious about science and engineering. She became fascinated with these subjects when she noticed moisture forming on cold glass. This simple observation taught her about condensation.
She continued her studies at the University of Kentucky. In 1916, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. This made her the first woman to ever graduate with an engineering degree from that university.
Her Amazing Career
After finishing college, Margaret Ingels started her career at the Chicago Telephone Company. She worked in the traffic engineering department there.
In 1917, she moved to Pittsburgh and joined the Carrier Engineering Corporation. This is where her interest in air conditioning really began.
Margaret earned her professional Mechanical Engineering degree in 1920. The next year, she joined the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers research lab. For six years, she focused on studying air conditioning. During this time, she developed a new portable machine. This machine could find out how much germ-filled dust was in places like schoolrooms.
In 1931, she returned to the Carrier-Lyle Corporation. She worked there until she retired. At Carrier, she helped improve the sling psychrometer. This tool is used to measure the humidity (how much moisture is in the air).
Margaret was also a great speaker. She gave over 200 speeches to more than 12,000 people between 1932 and 1952. She spoke about her profession and encouraged others.
In 1940, she was recognized as one of 100 women in the United States. These women had successful careers in fields that were not open to women in the past.
What She Wrote
Margaret Ingels wrote more than 45 technical papers about engineering. She also wrote an article called Petticoats and Slide Rules. This article told the stories of the first American women in the engineering field.
Her Lasting Impact
To honor Margaret Ingels, a dormitory was opened at the University of Kentucky in August 2005. It is called Ingels Hall and was designed for women engineering students.
The Student Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers at the University of Kentucky also created a special fund in her memory. This fund helps students studying for their Master of Science or Ph.D. degrees in engineering.
