Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Oral History Program, Women Scientists and Engineers Oral History Collection

The collection contains edited transcripts of life history (through 1976/1977) interviews conducted by Shirlee Sherkow of the MIT Oral History Program with nine women scientists and engineers.

The interviews explored the women's early home environments, school and research experiences, roles as spouses and parents, and views on problems confronting women scientists and engineers in the workplace.

Interviewees were: Mildred Spiewak Dresselhaus, electrical engineer and solid state physicist, Professor of electrical engineering (MIT) and director of MIT's Center for Materials Science and Engineering.

Ellen Jane Henderson, biochemist, assistant professor of chemistry (MIT).

Christina Huk Jansen, SB 1963 in electrical engineering (MIT), SM 1966 in metallurgical engineering (MIT), PhD 1971 in physical metallurgy (MIT), metallurgist and engineer.

Christine Jones, astronomer.

Vera Kistiakowsky, physicist, Professor of physics (MIT).

Nancy J. Kopell, mathematician, C.L.E. Moore Instructor of Mathematics (MIT, 1967-1969).

Lisa A. Steiner, biologist, Professor of biology (MIT).

Giuliana Cavaglieri Tesoro (1921-2002) was an organic chemist, was a visiting professor and adjunct professor in the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering from 1972 to 1982 (MIT).

Sheila Evans Widnall, SB 1961, SM 1961, ScD 1964 in aeronautical engineering (MIT), aeronautical and astronautical engineer, professor of aeronautics and astronautics (MIT).

Marilynn Bever, MIT class of 1976, conducted interviews with five women graduates of MIT in the classes of 1934, 1935, and 1937 as research for her S.B. thesis "The Women of M.I.T, 1871-1941: Who They Were, What They Achieved". Charles Weiner, the director of the MIT Oral History Program, was her thesis supervisor. Audio recordings of the five interviews were deposited into the MIT Oral History Program as a supplement to the Women Scientists and Engineers collection. Pages 73-89 of the Bever thesis, volume 1, relate to the interviews.

As additional background the collection also contains biographies, bibliographies, publications, and audiorecordings of public events and lectures which took place in 1976 about issues of women scientists and engineers.