Edith Clarke was an engineer, and a high school teacher of Math and Science in San Francisco, and later in Huntington. She was the first female professor of electrical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. She specialized in electrical power system analysis.
Background
Edith Clarke was born on February 10, 1883 in Howard County, Maryland, United States. She was a daughter of John Ridgely, a lawyer, and Susan Dorsey (Owings) Clarke. She was one of nine children in her family. After being orphaned at age 12, she was raised by her older sister.
Education
Clarke attended a nearby school until 1897, when she entered boarding school after the deaths of her parents. She returned home two years later with no ambition for a career. Clarke decided to study languages with a tutor, however, and entered Vassar College in 1904. There she studied mathematics and astronomy, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1908.
Clarke taught math and science in San Francisco and later at Marshall University, before renewing her studies in 1911 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Also she studied at Columbia University by night.
Finally, in 1918, Clarke enrolled at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and became the first woman to earn Master of science degree from this university in 1919.
Career
After one year of course work in civil engineering, Edith Clarke joined the American Telephone and Telegraph company (AT&T) in New York as a computing assistant to research engineer George A. Campbell. At the time, computing mathematical problems for engineers was considered an appropriate profession for women with advanced training in mathematics. During World War I, Clarke led a group of women who made calculations for the Transmission Department at AT&T. Even with such credentials, however, she was unsuccessful in acquiring a position as an engineer.
Edith worked briefly as a computor for General Electric (GE) before accepting a post teaching physics at Constantinople Women’s College (now Istanbul American College) in 1921. The following year, Clarke returned to GE-this time as an engineer. She analyzed electric power systems and researched special problems related to power-system operations.
Clarke remained with GE for twenty-six years. While at GE, Clarke also published a textbook which covered circuit analysis of alternating-current power systems. Prior to World War II, Clarke devised calculating charts which greatly streamlined the computation process.
Clarke retired to Maryland in 1945 but was drawn back to engineering within a year, this time accepting an associate professorship in electrical engineering at the University of Texas. Gaining full professorship in 1947, Clarke also served on numerous committees and was a graduate student advisor, providing special assistance to foreign students. In 1957, at age seventy-four, Clarke retired a second time. She died two years later in Baltimore.
Membership
Edith Clarke was a fellow of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers.