03/12/2024
In honor of Women's History Month...
First Woman Engineer
Emily Warren Roebling (1843-1903)
"Emily Warren Roebling was married to Washington Roebling, who was Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge. After her husband was incapacitated by caisson disease (the bends), Emily helped him complete the building of the bridge. First American woman engineer, one source calls her a pioneering example of independence."...
"As the only person to visit her husband during his sickness, Emily Warren Roebling relayed information from Washington to his assistants and reported back to him on the progress of the work. She took it upon herself to study the technical issues, learning about strength of materials, stress analysis, cable construction and calculation of catenary curves, and developed an extensive knowledge of the engineering used in bridge building".... "Husband and wife jointly planned the bridge’s continued construction, while Emily took over many of the chief engineer’s duties, including project management. Every day she went to the site to convey her husband’s instructions to the workers and to answer questions. She carried out all face-to-face interviews with contractors, kept detailed records, and represented her husband at social functions. She eventually became so good at the job that many suspected she was the real intelligence behind the bridge."
https://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2014/06/emily-warren-roebling.html
The Woman Who Saved the Brooklyn Bridge Emily Warren Roebling (1843-1903) was married to Washington Roebling, who was Chief Engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge. After her husband was incapacitated by caisson disease (the bends), Emily helped him complete the building of the bridge. First American woman....
