Women’s historical achievements
Important women and their inventions
Jessica Mills / Arts & Culture Editor / The USD Vista
Women have a long history of not receiving credit when due. This is why many don’t know that female inventors were major contributors to many male-controlled industries, such as technology, science and business. Despite these major impacts, women — particularly women of color — have historically had less access to resources to apply for U.S. patents in order to market their creations.
This article is just a short list of women’s inventions that changed the world, providing practical solutions that are widely used today. Many of these women did not receive credit for their work during their time or were downplayed and overlooked.
Computer programming
Grace Hopper (1906-1992), an American computer scientist, mathematician and Navy Admiral, made countless contributions to developing computer language. Hopper pioneered automatic programming and found new ways to use a computer to code. She was also involved in the creation of UNIVAC, the first completely electronic computer. Hopper invented the first computer compiler, which translates written instructions into codes for computers to read directly. This eventually led to her co-development of COBOL, one of the earliest computer languages that allows computers to respond to both words and numbers.
USD junior Zoey Delgado was astonished that much of the field’s foundation was formulated by women.
“I find that really interesting and honestly surprising because I consider computer programming to be such a male-dominated field,” Delgado said.
Zippia reports that 71.3% of all programmers are male.
Solar panels and solar-powered heating
Hungarian-American biophysicist Maria Telkes (1900-1995) invented the first solar-powered residential heating system and solar distiller.
Telkes was assigned to the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development during World War II, where she created a solar distiller that vaporized seawater and turned it into drinkable water.
Alongside American architect Eleanor Raymond, she constructed the world’s first modern home, heated solely with solar energy.
Britannica cites that in 1952, Telkes became the first recipient of the Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award. In 1977, she received a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Sciences Building Research Advisory for solar-heated building technology contributions.
Communication technology
Dr. Shirley Jackson’s (1946 – present) breakthrough scientific research led to the conception of the touch tone telephone, portable fax, fiber-optic cables, caller identification and call waiting.
When making a phone call, call waiting notifies users of an incoming call and can place the first call on hold while answering the second.
Highly decorated, Dr. Jackson is the first Black woman to earn a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She was also the first woman and Black individual to become the Commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory System, serve as the chairman for this commision, lead a national research university and be elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
USD senior Ryan Davis believes that it’s crucial to recognize Dr. Jackson and countless others and all they’ve achieved.
“I honestly have so much respect for women like Dr. Jackson who are working in a field dominated by men but continue to do their work without receiving the same recognition as their male counterparts,” Davis said. “It is crucial to celebrate and recognize women like Dr. Jackson, because it offers role models for the younger generation of women to look up to.”
In September 2014, Dr. Jackson was appointed by President Barack Obama as Co-Chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, providing advice on the nation’s quality and adequacy of intelligence and counterintelligence collection. She served in this position until January 2017.
Her list of achievements and awards are continuous. To put it simply, Dr. Jackson is the reason we have easy access to much of the technology that allows our phones and communication technology to function today.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Hedy Lammar, an Austrian-American actress and inventor, co-created the technology that is now used in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS devices.
Lammar developed frequency hopping — the repeated switching of frequencies during transmission to reduce interference and interception. Lammar was well-known for her beauty and was thus overlooked when it came to her intelligence.
Working beside composer and inventor George Antheil, they submitted patent applications for radio frequency hopping in 1941. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that Lammar obtained recognition for her achievements.
USD junior Haley Jacob was also surprised by Lammar’s impact.
“I don’t really find out about these inventions from women unless it’s a fun fact I see on the internet,” Jacob explained. “I think women, even today, are discouraged from joining the STEM and business fields, because they think that they won’t be good enough, and men in that field can make it a very non-inclusive environment. But, literally women like Hedy are the reason we have this specific technology.”
This list is microscopic compared to the long list of historical achievements women have and continue to contribute to. Learning more about women’s history is crucial for an inclusive and celebratory future.
