When talking about Boeing history , the most well-known stories or the “ firsts ” often consume the narrative . Like Helen Holcombe , the first female draftsperson at Boeing or Bessie Dempsey , the first female engineer . You have Ed Wells , one of Boeing ’ s most prominent engineers , who helped design almost every major aircraft from the B-17 to the 767 . And who could forget Joe Sutter , “ the father of the 747 .” All are great achievements , all worthy of praise . But sometimes , the “ firsts ” and the “ greats ” tend to overshadow the ones who made a difference in their own way . The ones who went to work every day , did their job , and went home . The ones who inspired their families , their loved ones or themselves . Yet these stories equally matter , which is why a recent , yet small , donation to the Boeing Archives is the inspiration for this story .
The donation came from a woman whose great aunt Alice and mother Maureen worked at Boeing from the 1940s through the 1960s . Most items belonged to Alice , a mechanic and draftsperson who came to Boeing amidst the famous rise of recruitment icon “ Rosie the Riveter ” during World War II . Her items include a 1943 training handbook , a signed mechanics union card from 1942 , and a material list from a special Boeing drafting class . The training program she enrolled in was offered by Boeing to give women an opportunity to “ be employed in engineering and drafting work .”
18 LET ’ S GO AEROSPACE