Olive Dennis

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Olive Dennis as a student, 1908

Olive Wetzel Dennis (born November 20, 1885 ; died November 5, 1957 in Baltimore ) was an American civil engineer and inventor . Numerous innovations in the American railroad system in the 20th century can be traced back to them.

education

Olive Dennis received a bachelor's degree in science and mathematics from Goucher College in Baltimore County and a master's degree in mathematics and astronomy from Columbia University . After that, she first worked as a math teacher while she continued her education in summer courses. She then spent a year at Cornell University , where she graduated in civil engineering in 1920.

Working as an engineer

In the same year, Dennis started working for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad company, initially as a draftsman in the bridge construction department. A year later she was tasked with evaluating the company's entire train system with the aim of making rail travel more attractive for women. At Dennis's recommendation, adjustable seats and a ventilation system were introduced that evolved into a mechanical air conditioning system that was first put into operation in 1930. Further improvements initiated by Dennis were toilets with paper towels and soap dispensers as well as individually adjustable reading lamps. Dennis' attention was also given to connecting the train stations to airports and local public transport.

Olive Dennis became the first woman to become a member of the American Railway Engineering Association . She received a patent for the ventilation system she developed for railroad cars and for the design of the porcelain tableware used in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

Many of the innovations developed by Olive Dennis also influenced the design of passenger aircraft, which at that time competed with the railways, and are now standard in passenger transport worldwide.

"No matter how successful a business may seem to be, it can gain even greater success if it gives consideration to the women's viewpoint."

"However successful a company may seem, it can be even more successful if it takes into account the perspective of women."

- Olive Dennis, 1954

literature

  • Sybil E Hatch: Changing Our World. True Stories of Women Engineers. ASCE Press, Reston 2006, ISBN 978-0-7844-0835-3 , p. 93.
  • Anne L. Macdonald: Feminine Ingenuity. Women and Invention in America. Ballantine Books, New York 2010, ISBN 978-0-3453-8314-3 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Amy Sue Bix: Girls Coming to Tech! A History of American Engineering Education for Women. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts / London 2013, ISBN 978-0-2620-1954-5 , p. 40.
  2. ↑ Leadership and Management in Engineering. No. 8, 1, October 2001, ISSN  1532-6748 , p. 80 ( on Google Books )
  3. ^ Sybil E Hatch: Changing Our World. True Stories of Women Engineers. ASCE Press, Reston 2006, ISBN 978-0-7844-0835-3 , p. 93.
personal data
SURNAME Dennis, Olive
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Dennis, Olive Wetzel (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American engineer
DATE OF BIRTH November 20, 1885
DATE OF DEATH 5th November 1957
Place of death Baltimore