Hattie Scott Peterson

Hattie Scott Peterson
Photo of Hattie Peterson
Born Hattie T. Scott
(1913-10-11)October 11, 1913
Norfolk, Virginia
Died 10 April 1993(1993-04-10) (aged 79)
Sacramento, California
Alma mater
Known for
  • First African-American woman to gain degree in civil engineering
  • First woman engineer in her local USACE
Scientific career
Fields
  • Civil engineering
Institutions

Hattie T. Scott Peterson (1913–1993)[1][2] is believed to be the first African-American woman to gain a bachelor's degree in civil engineering.[3][4]

Biography

Hattie Scott was born in Norfolk, Virginia on October 11, 1913, to Hattie (Wilkinson) and Uzeil Scott.[1][3] She married Donald Charles Peterson (1912-1978) in 1943.[1][2]

In 1946, Peterson graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, and began working as a survey and cartographic engineer for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Sacramento, California in 1947.[1]

She joined the local U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in 1954, where she was the first woman engineer and encouraged engineering as a profession for women.[3]

Peterson was a member of the National Technical Association, the American Society of Photogrammetry, and the Unitarian Church.[1] She died on April 10, 1993 in Sacramento.[2] She and her husband left an endowment for scholarships at Howard University.[5]

Honor

The Sacramento district of the USACE grants a Hattie Peterson Inspirational Award annually in her honor:[3] "The purpose of the Hattie Peterson Award is to recognize the Sacramento District individual whose actions best exemplify the highest qualities of personal and professional perseverance through social challenges."[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Fleming, G. James; Burckel, Christian E. (1950). Who's who in Colored America: An Illustrated Biographical Directory of Notable Living Persons of African Descent in the United States. Yonkers-on-Hudson, N.Y.: Christian E. Burckel & Associates. p. 415.
  2. 1 2 3 McGuire, R. "Hattie Scott Peterson". FindAGrave.com. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Hattie Peterson (1913-1993)". Library.ca.gov. California State Library. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  4. ↑ Jordan, Diann (2007). Sisters in science : conversations with black women scientists about race, gender, and their passion for science (1. pbk. print. ed.). West Lafayette, Ind.: Purdue University Press. p. 31. ISBN 1557534454. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  5. ↑ "Donor Based Scholarships". Howard.edu. Howard University. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
  6. ↑ "People's Choice Award Winners". The Prospector. 80 (4): 6. Winter 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
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