Margaret Hutchinson Rousseau
Encyclopedia
Margaret Hutchinson Rousseau (1911 - 11 January 2000) was a chemical engineer
who designed the first commercial penicillin
production plant. She was also the first female member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
.
in 1932 and her Sc.D in chemical engineering from MIT in 1937, the first woman to earn a doctorate in the subject in the USA. She died 12 January 2000 at her home in Weston, Massachusetts
.
. She also worked on the development of high-octane gasoline for aviation fuel
. Her later work included improved distillation column design and plants for the production of ethylene glycol
and glacial acetic acid.
.
She retired in 1961 and became an overseer of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
.
In 1983 she was the first recipient of the prestigious Founders Award of the AIChE.
Chemical engineer
In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work...
who designed the first commercial penicillin
Penicillin
Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V....
production plant. She was also the first female member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers is a professional organization for chemical engineers.AIChE was established in 1908 with the purpose of establishing chemical engineers as a profession independent from chemists and mechanical engineers.As of 2010, AIChE had over 40,000 members,...
.
Life
Margaret Hutchinson was born in 1911 in Houston, Texas, the daughter of a clothing store owner, and married William C. Rousseau (a co-worker, who was later a chemical engineering lecturer at MIT). They had one son. She received her BS from Rice InstituteRice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
in 1932 and her Sc.D in chemical engineering from MIT in 1937, the first woman to earn a doctorate in the subject in the USA. She died 12 January 2000 at her home in Weston, Massachusetts
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a suburb of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Boston metro area. The population of Weston, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, is 11,261....
.
Career
She started her professional career with E. B. Badger (where she met her husband to be) and during the Second World War she oversaw the design of production plants for the stragically important materials of penicillin and synthetic rubberSynthetic rubber
Synthetic rubber is is any type of artificial elastomer, invariably a polymer. An elastomer is a material with the mechanical property that it can undergo much more elastic deformation under stress than most materials and still return to its previous size without permanent deformation...
. She also worked on the development of high-octane gasoline for aviation fuel
Aviation fuel
Aviation fuel is a specialized type of petroleum-based fuel used to power aircraft. It is generally of a higher quality than fuels used in less critical applications, such as heating or road transport, and often contains additives to reduce the risk of icing or explosion due to high temperatures,...
. Her later work included improved distillation column design and plants for the production of ethylene glycol
Ethylene glycol
Ethylene glycol is an organic compound widely used as an automotive antifreeze and a precursor to polymers. In its pure form, it is an odorless, colorless, syrupy, sweet-tasting liquid...
and glacial acetic acid.
Honours and Other Activities
In 1955 she received the Achievement Award of the Society of Women EngineersSociety of Women Engineers
The Society of Women Engineers , founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit educational and service organization. SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and be recognized for...
.
She retired in 1961 and became an overseer of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
.
In 1983 she was the first recipient of the prestigious Founders Award of the AIChE.
Images
- Walter Reuther Library Margaret Hutchinson Rousseau, Portrait (1955)
- Walter Reuther Library Margaret Hutchinson Rousseau, Portrait (1961)