Nora Stanton Blatch Barney (Civil Engineer + Architect + Women’s Rights Activists)
PAST – CHILDHOOD
Nora was born on the 30th of September, 1883 in Basingstoke, England. She was a child of William Blatch and Harriot Eaton Stanton Blatch, a Women’s Rights Activist. At the age of 87, which was on the January 18, 1971 Nora had passed away. As the daughter of Women’s Rights Activist, she was able to follow in the same path and continue to speak for the rights of women. Nora was known as Civil Engineer, Architect and a Women’s Rights Activists. She went to Horace Mann School in New York to learn about mathematics and Latin during the 1897. Her family then moved into the United State five years after.
PRESENT – ADULTHOOD
Nora was a great example of British and American women’s movement to show the society of the women’s power during that period of time. She was one of the very passionate women to study civil engineer. And because of that in 1905 she became the first American woman to graduate from Cornell University with a degree in Civil Engineering. Her family was a very supportive source that pushed her to continue to pursue in that field, and because of her hardworking it had paid off which she became the first female member of the American Society of Civil Engineer. She then further went into engineering career and worked for the American Bridge company and for the New York City Board of Water Supply. During 1908 she was married to a guy named Lee De Forest, an electron tube inventor. She quit her job and went to help him discover and invent stuff like radio equipment.
The first female junior member of the American Society of Civil Engineer was also worked as a draftsman in the Catskill Mountains. She helped the team to build a tunnel boring machine(TBM). One of the world’s most advanced tunnel excavators(TBM) that spent about thirty million dollars was dubbed as “Nora”. It is a 470 feet long that able to pump 2500 gallons of water per minute. The reason that people named the tunnel as Nora because when she was working at the New York City Board of Water Supply for the city’s landmark water supply, Nora led the team while also worked to fight for the women’s rights. It represent the courage and the positive attitude that she gave during working and because of that action people named the tunnel as “Nora” to indicates and provide considerable inspiration as they were repairing the New York City water supply in history.
The three principles values that helped Nora to reach her goals were: first, never limit the opportunity just because of the gender you have. Nora demonstrates that even though society only value men in the field of science and engineering, however Nora prove that even if she is a woman, she was able to learn in civil engineering and even becoming the first British and American women’s civil engineer. Second, always have a positive attitude and courage for whatever field you’re working in; part of life, things not going to be perfect and result well all the time but we have to keep going, keep following and keep trying for the thing that we love. Nora demonstrates that her attitude and courage resulted a positive outcome. People saw her determination and optimism during working and because of that she got her name dubbed onto a world most advanced tunnel excavator. Last but not least, understand that society need you and it is important to deal and perform the ability that you got. In her life, her actions and attitude depicts her hard working and how she had proven that women are capable of doing science and engineering. Women is a part of helping the nation to grow, just like her experienced because of her ability as women in the civil engineering industry shows the government that women can think , design and invent just like when she helped her husband and at her workplace.
FUTURE
Back to the late 1800s education were mostly available and accessible for men. Topics like Science and Engineering wasn’t a popular subjects that women would want to learn and expect to do as well. But Nora, was the first woman to prove how woman can really do it. One of the most valuable thing that she’d accomplished was the motivation for women in this generation to stand up and follow their passion and going to college or university to get a degree that they love learning in. Her action inspired new generation to continue on and follow their dream.
Sources:
www.energy.gov, news.cornell.edu
www.britannica.com, www.thefamouspeople