![Photo of Catherine "Kate" Anselm Gleason](/women_pictures/Gleason _Catherine "Kate" Anselm.png)
Catherine "Kate" Anselm Gleason
Personal Information
Born: 1865
Died: 1933
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
Cornell University; Rochester Institute of Technology; no degree, little formal training as an engineer; primarily learned by working in her father s gear company from age 14
""In those early days I was a freak; I talked of gears when a woman was not supposed to know what a gear was. It did me much good. For, no matter how much men disapproved of me, they were at least interested in seeing me, one distinct advantage I had over the ordinary salesman.""
— Catherine "Kate" Anselm Gleason
Professional Life
Field of Study: Mechanical Engineering;Businesswoman
Institution/Corporation: Gleason Corporation, Rochester Institute of Technology
Degrees & Memberships: Member: American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1914), American Concrete Institute, Verein Deutscher Ingenieure
Awards & Achievements
Awards: none
Achievements: Affordable housing; experimented with concrete to build fireproof, affordable housing; 1914, 1st female member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; 1st woman engineering student in Mechanical Arts program at Cornell University; 1914, 1st woman appointed the receiver of bankruptcy; 1918, appointed president of First National Bank of East Rochester; helped launch 8 companies including a housing development; known for her philanthropy, donating to the women s suffrage movement, libraries, orphanages & schools; 1929, donated a large property to the Rochester Institute of Technology; 1st woman elected to Verein Deutscher Ingenieure; 1st female member of the American Concrete Institute; Gleason Corporation is still in operation; Kate Gleason College of Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology is named after her
1st female member of ASME
Was Manager of Gleason Works in Rochester, NY
Kate Gleason College of Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) was named in tribute to her
Began helping her father in his gear factory after the death of her stepbrother Tom when she was 11 years old
1884, 1st female at Cornell Mechanical Arts Program; was unable to complete her studies because she had to help out at the family business
Became a travelling salesperson for the family business, touring Europe in 1893 to expand the business; 1900 represented the business at the Paris World Fair
Left the family business in 1913
1st female named a receiver by the Bankruptcy Court to take over Ingle Machine Company in 1914; restored the company to financial security & paid off all it's debts by the end of 1915
1918, appointed president of First National Bank of East Rochester; Helped launch 8 companies
Experimented building fireproof houses out of concrete & sold them for under $4,000
Was known for her philanthropy
Never married; viewed marriage as a hindrance to her professional life
1st female member of Verein Deutschen Ingenieure
1st female member of the American Concrete Institute
Held 1 patent