From the sea,
across land, and all the way to the stars, women have made an incredible
difference on our world. March is
Women’s History Month and we would like to take the time to share with you some
incredible women who had a great impact on transportation.
Nellie Bly: Have you ever read the book by Jules
Vern, Around the World in 80 Days? The classic adventure told the story of Phileas
Fogg and his desire to circumnavigate the earth in 80 days. Elizabeth Jane
Cochrane was a journalist who went by the name Nellie Bly, and she was inspired
by the book. In 1889, at the age of 25, she traveled around the world — and she
did it in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds. According to
Biography.com she used a variety of transportation methods to achieve her lofty
goal, including: ship, horse, rickshaw, sampan, burro and other vehicles.
Anne Rainford French Bush: In 1900, cars were just starting to be
manufactured and there were only a handful of people who actually owned and
drove them. According to the U.S.
Department of Transportation, Anne Rainford French Bush was the first woman who
obtained a “steam engineer’s license,” which allowed her to operate a
four-wheeled vehicle powered by steam or gas.” In an article in Life Magazine
from Sept. 1952, Bush said that the speed limit was nine miles an hour, and her
father was pulled over for going 12 miles an hour in his convertible.
Alice Huyler Ramsey: In 1909, 22 year-old Alice Huyler
Ramsey, drover her way into history as the first woman to drive coast to coast
across the United States. According the Smithsonian Magazine, her 3,800 journey
from New York to California took 59 days to complete. In those days, there was
no GPS and the majority of America’s roads were not fit for long distance
travel. Ramsey relied on the Blue Book travel guides with directions that
weren’t always accurate. Ramsey and her three women passengers had to conquer
many obstacles, including car trouble, inclement weather, and the fact that
there were no directions west of the Mississippi River. Ramsey would eventually
be the founder of the Women’s Motoring Club.
Olive Dennis: According to TransportationHistory.org, In 1920, Dennis was hired by the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to work as a bridge designer in the engineering
department. Later, her role changed to a service engineer where she was
responsible for engineering upgrades that would make train rides more
comfortable. Dennis invented reclining seats, stain resistant upholstery,
adjustable ceiling lights that could be dimmed in the passenger cars. Arguably her
greatest invention was the window vents that brought in fresh air, but kept the
dust out and air conditioning that was used aboard the trains and also
implemented in planes and busses. Dennis said, “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.” She was also the first female member
of the American Railway Engineering Association.
Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) During World War II, the army was
desperate for pilots to deliver newly built training aircraft to flight
schools. Twenty-eight women pilots volunteered to take job of ferrying these
aircraft. For the next two years, 1,074 more women volunteered and they were
trained to ferry, tow gunnery targets, transport equipment and personnel, and
test aircraft that had been repaired.
According to waspmusem.org, the WASP served
at 120 different bases around the country and carried out a variety of
aviation-related positions. The WASP asked Walt Disney if they could use a
female gremlin character, called Fifinella, from an unaired cartoon as their mascot.
Although It took another 37 years before they were granted military status, these women played an important role in WWII.
Although It took another 37 years before they were granted military status, these women played an important role in WWII.
“These 1,102
Women Airforce Service Pilots flew wingtip to wingtip with their male
counterparts,” the site said. “And they were just as vital to war effort.”
Rosie the Riveter: This famous icon represents all the women who
went to work as the men were fighting in World War II. Rosie the Riveter was a
campaign geared toward recruiting workers for defense industries. By the end of
the war, one out four women worked outside the home.
The aviation
industry saw the most women workers. According to history.com, 310,000 women
went to work in the U.S. aircraft industry.
Rosie the
Riveter is slightly based on a real-life munitions worker, and she stressed the
patriotic need for women to continue working. The term is also based on a song
of the same name. The most popular
illustration of Rosie was created by artist Jay Howard Miller in 1942. Norman
Rockwell also created his own Rosie in 1943.
Rosie the
Riveter continues to be an inspirational icon for women across the world.
Janet Guthrie: Ever since auto racing got its start, it
has been a predominantly male sport. But in the early 1970's a woman with a
degree in physics by the name of Janet Guthrie wanted to change that. In 1976,
she became the first woman to compete in a NASCAR race, and in the following
year she became the first female driver to start in the Daytona 500. She won
Top Rookie honors because of her 12th place finish in NASCAR’s
biggest race. Later that year she qualified for the Indy 500. Although her
racing career never saw her in victory lane, she paved the way for countless
female race car drivers. In 2005 she was inducted into the International
Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Sally Ride: Nasa was formed in 1958, and it would be
another 25 years before an American woman would blast off into Earth’s Orbit.
Sally Ride, was born on May 26, 1951. Ride received her doctorate in physics in
1978. After she completed her studies, she applied to become an astronaut for
NASA and was selected, she began spacing training that same year. On June 18,
1983, Ride took her first space flight on the Challenger. She returned to space
in 1984 and continued to work for NASA until 1987 and began teaching at the
University of California in San Diego to help women and young girls study
science and math. She was added to the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2003.
Mae C. Jemison Nine years after Ride took her first
spaceflight, Mae C. Jemison became the first African-American woman in space.
Jemison was born on Oct. 17, 1956. She studied chemical engineering. According
to Biography.com, Jemison also received her M.D., and worked as a medical
officer for the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone and Liberia. In 1985, she returned
to the United States and followed her dream to become an astronaut for NASA. In
1987, she was chosen and after five years of working for NASA, she boarded
Space Shuttle Endeavor and blasted off on Sept. 12, 1992. She spent eight days
in space and conducted experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness on the
crew and herself.
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