Seventy-two years ago, some 61 women engineers and engineering students came together to set the groundwork for what is now a 41,000+ member organization – the Society of Women Engineers.
In celebration of SWE’s Founders Day, we’re taking a glimpse back at a trailblazing and pioneering woman in engineering – Elsie Eaves, a civil engineer, founding member, and SWE Fellow.
Elsie Eaves was born in Idaho Springs, Colorado in 1898. In 1920, at the age of 22, she graduated from the University of Colorado with a civil engineering degree. After graduating from college, she worked for the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads, the Colorado State Highway Department, and the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad.
Eaves later joined the Engineering and News-Record (ENR) as an assistant manager for market surveys. She became the manager of the Construction Economics department. She directed ENR’s tracking of construction statistics and post-war planning in the construction industry. This information was used by ASCE and the Committee of Economic Development to begin projects when World War II ended. Her career in the publishing field was a series of firsts. In 1929, Eaves originated and compiled the first national inventory of municipal and industrial sewage disposal facilities. Next, she compiled statistics on needed construction, which helped revitalize the construction industry during the Great Depression.
In 1945, she became the manager of Business News and continued there until she retired in 1963. After retiring, she was an advisor to the National Commission on Urban Affairs on the subject of housing costs. She also advised the International Executive Service Corps about construction costs in Iran.
Of other ‘firsts,’ Eaves is also well regarded as the:
- First female Associate Member, Honorary Member, Fellow, and Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
- First female president of the Combined Engineers student engineering society at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
- First woman elected Chapter Honor Member of Chi Epsilon, civil engineering honorary.
- First woman to join the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (formally the American Association of Cost Engineers) and become awarded Honorary Life Membership.
- One of the first women to become a civil engineer.
Elsie Eaves passed away on March 27, 1983 in Roslyn, New York.
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