Patricia Brown (engineer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Patricia Brown
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President of SWE from 1961-63
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| Born | October 1, 1928 Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Southwestern Louisiana Institute |
| Occupation | Chemical engineer, Technical writer |
Patricia L. Brown, born on October 1, 1928, was a very important American chemical engineer. She made history by being the first woman to graduate as a chemical engineer from Southwestern Louisiana Institute. She was also a leader in helping women succeed in engineering.
Contents
Education and Early Life
Patricia Brown achieved a big milestone in 1947. She became the first woman to earn a degree in chemical engineering from Southwestern Louisiana Institute. After that, she continued her studies. In 1949, she received her master's degree in chemistry from the University of Texas.
Patricia Brown's Career Journey
Patricia Brown had a diverse and interesting career. She started by teaching chemistry at Smith College. Later, she worked as a research associate at Albany Medical College.
Her career then moved into the field of technical information. She joined Ethyl Corporation in Detroit. There, she became a specialist in finding and sharing technical information.
Working with Information and Research
In 1955, Brown became a technical writer at Bettis Atomic Power Division, which was part of Westinghouse. She then became an Information Services Supervisor at Texas Instruments in 1957.
She also did important research on how to store and find information at Battelle Memorial Institute. Later, she managed technical information at Baxter Laboratories in Illinois. Patricia Brown stayed in the field of information and research until she retired from Stepan Company. She learned many skills, including how to analyze data, design systems, write reports, and manage computer operations.
Besides her work with the Society of Women Engineers, Brown was also a member of other important groups. These included the American Society for Information Science, the American Chemical Society, and the Society for Technical Communication.
"Today, most of the women who are graduating in engineering recognize that their engineering background may put them in a totally different area than actual hands-on engineering."
– Patricia Brown
Leading the Society of Women Engineers
Patricia Brown was a very active member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) throughout her life. She was the seventh president of the society, serving from 1961 to 1963.
She helped start the Detroit section of SWE in 1952. She was also one of the first members of the South Ohio SWE section. When she moved to Dallas, there wasn't a local SWE group. So, she stayed connected with the national organization.
Helping SWE Grow
In the late 1950s, SWE faced tough times. Money was short, and not many people were joining. Patricia Brown was a key person who helped keep the society going during this period.
As president, she worked with another famous engineer, Lillian Moller Gilbreth. Together, they helped SWE achieve its goals. They wanted to encourage women engineers to succeed in their careers.
During her time as president, Patricia Brown also presented an honorary award to Marlene Schmidt. Schmidt was a German engineer who was also Miss Universe at the time. Brown also tried to get Grace Hopper, a pioneering computer scientist, to support SWE. However, Hopper believed that women and men should not have separate engineering societies.
See also
- Society of Women Engineers
- American Society for Information Science
- American Chemical Society
- Society for Technical Communication
