Mary Fergusson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Molly Fergusson OBE
Born	Mary Fergusson 28 April 1914 Stoke
Died	30 November 1997(1997-11-30) (aged 83) London
Other names	Molly
Occupation	Civil engineer
Known for	Civil Engineering

Mary (Molly) Isolen Fergusson was a super important British civil engineer. She was born on April 28, 1914, in Stoke, and passed away on November 30, 1997, in London. Molly made history in 1957 when she became the first ever woman to be a full member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. This was a huge step for women in engineering!

Early Life and Learning

Molly Fergusson grew up in York, England. Her dad made special equipment for radiography, which is like taking X-rays. She was a very bright student and even became the head girl at York College.

After school, Molly went to the University of Edinburgh. She studied civil engineering and graduated in 1936. To get more training, she worked for a company called Blyth and Blyth in Edinburgh. For the first year, she worked without pay, which was common back then for new engineers.

Amazing Engineering Work

Molly stayed at Blyth and Blyth for her whole career. She helped design many important projects across Scotland. These included bridges, drainage systems, and even sewerage works. She also worked on big industrial buildings, like the Markinch paper mills.

In 1939, she became a full member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. This was a big achievement! By 1948, Molly became a senior partner at Blyth and Blyth. This made her the first female senior partner in a civil engineering firm in the whole United Kingdom. It showed how incredibly talented and hardworking she was.

Some of her cool projects included:

• A special two-level concrete footbridge over the Gala Water. It even had a spiral staircase and a hidden sewer inside!
• The curved concrete Devonside Bridge that went over a river.

From the 1960s, Molly's firm also helped design modern buildings. They worked with architects on projects for the University of Edinburgh. On January 15, 1957, Molly officially became the first woman to be a full member of Britain's top engineering group, the Institution of Civil Engineers. She also helped organize a big meeting for women engineers and scientists in 1967.

Later Life and Legacy

Molly retired from full-time work in 1978. But she didn't stop helping others! She continued to work as a consultant engineer. She used the money she earned to create a special fund. This fund helped other students who wanted to study engineering.

She was also an active member of the Women's Engineering Society. This group helps support and encourage women in engineering.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Plaque honoring Molly Fergusson at the University of Edinburgh's School of Engineering.

Molly received many honors for her amazing work:

• In 1979, she was given the OBE award by the Queen. This is a very high honor in Britain.
• Heriot-Watt University gave her an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1985. They recognized her efforts to inspire more women to become engineers.
• In 2015, a portrait of Molly was put up at Heriot-Watt University. A student residence hall there is also named after her!

Even a giant tunnel boring machine was named "Mary" after her! This machine was used to dig a 160-meter-long tunnel under the River Humber. It helped secure gas supplies for Britain. This shows how much respect people had for her as an engineer.

In 2019, Molly Fergusson was added to the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame. This means she is recognized as one of the greatest engineers from Scotland!