Wanda Denson-Low facts for kids

Wanda K. Denson-Low (born in 1958) is a very successful American business leader and lawyer. She used to be a senior vice president at The Boeing Company, which is a huge company that makes airplanes and other aerospace products. In 1989, while working at Hughes Aircraft Company, she made history. She became the first minority woman to be a patent counsel at a Fortune 500 company. This means she was a top lawyer who helped protect new inventions for one of the largest companies in the United States. Today, she is also a vice president on the board of trustees for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a well-known university.

Early Life and Education

Wanda Denson-Low grew up in St. Albans, Queens, a neighborhood in New York City. She has a diverse background, being half Japanese and half African-American. She went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and studied chemistry, graduating in 1978. After that, she continued her education and earned her law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from Brooklyn Law School in 1981. She is licensed to practice law in both California and Connecticut. Wanda Denson-Low also helped create a special scholarship, the Wanda Denson Low and Ronald Low scholarship, to support outstanding students from the Asian Pacific American community.

A Career of Firsts

Wanda Denson-Low began her career as a patent attorney in 1981 at a company called Union Carbide. A patent attorney is a lawyer who helps inventors protect their new ideas and inventions. In 1985, she joined Hughes Aircraft Company. While at Hughes, she was a senior lawyer and helped guide and support other patent attorneys, especially those from minority groups.

In 1989, she achieved a major milestone. She became the nation's first minority woman chief patent counsel for a Fortune 500 company. This was a very important role where she managed a large budget of $14.4 million. Her leadership continued to grow, and in 1992, she became the first minority woman to be a vice president at Hughes Aircraft Company.

Wanda Denson-Low joined the legal team at Boeing in October 2000. She was recognized for her contributions to the community with a silver anniversary award from the Los Angeles Black Women Lawyer's Association. When Hughes Aircraft Company was acquired by Boeing in 2000, she took on a new role as vice president for Human Resources for the Defense and Space division. Later, she became Boeing's Vice President and Assistant General Counsel. In 2003, she was promoted to Vice President of Integrated Defense Systems (IDS).

Her career at Boeing continued to advance. In 2007, Wanda Denson-Low was appointed to the Boeing executive council, which is a group of top leaders in the company. In 2011, she became the Senior Vice President of the Office of Internal Governance. She retired from Boeing in 2014. Even after retiring, she continued to contribute her expertise. In 2016, she joined the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Board of Trustees. She also serves on the board of the Japanese American National Museum.

Awards and Recognition

Wanda Denson-Low has received many awards for her achievements and leadership:

• Pioneer Award from Black Engineer of the Year (2011)
• Organization of Chinese Americans National Asian Pacific American Corporate Achievement Award
• NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund Award
• Anti-Defamation League of Los Angeles Deborah Award
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Law Foundation Women Leadership Award (2004)