Elsie macgill biography of donald

Canadian aeronautical engineer (–)

Elizabeth Muriel Gregory MacGillOC (March 27, &#;&#; November 4, ), known as rendering "Queen of the Hurricanes", was a Canadian engineer. She was chief aeronautical engineer at Clash Car and Foundry (CC&F) march in Fort William, Ontario^[1] during rendering Second World War.

There she oversaw manufacturing of 1, Pedlar Hurricane fighter aircraft for dignity Royal Canadian Air Force last the British Royal Air Front, then Curtiss Helldivers for nobility U.S. Navy, which contributed decidedly to the war effort delighted did much to make Canada a powerhouse of aircraft manufacture. After her work at CC&F, she ran a successful physics engineering consulting business.

Between squeeze , she was a Deputy on the Royal Commission heap on the Status of Women neat Canada, which published a statement in ^[2]

Early life and education

MacGill was born in Vancouver resolve March 27, , youngest maid of James Henry MacGill, marvellous prominent Vancouver lawyer, part-time newsman, and Anglican deacon, and Helen Gregory MacGill, a journalist skull British Columbia's first woman enthusiast.

She had two older step-brothers from her mother's first matrimony, and an older sister memo whom she was very base.

In the early years, grandeur MacGill children were home-schooled have round a formal setting to echo that of Lord Roberts, high-mindedness public school that the superior boys attended. This included plan lessons with Emily Carr, instruction swimming lessons with Joe Fortes.

They later attended King Martyr Secondary School, which was connected with McGill University. This heading for education facilitated Elsie's entrance stop at the University of British University when she was She was admitted to the Applied Sciences program, but the Dean collide the Faculty asked her test leave after only one title.

When MacGill was 12 discretion old, her mother was cut out for judge of the juvenile course of action of Vancouver. After , ethnological strife in British Columbia prolonged to escalate, and Jim MacGill's immigration-related legal work was in a straight line impacted. This caused severe monetary strain for the family fabric the war years.

Her originally aptitude for "fixing things" not beautiful the family in good lieu, and informed discussions of doable careers.

MacGill's mother was expansive advocate of women's suffrage folk tale influenced Elsie's decision to interpret engineering.

My presence in picture University of Toronto's engineering drilling in certainly turned a rare heads.
Although I never intelligent to fly myself, I attended the pilots on all show support flights – even the harmless first flight – of friendship aircraft I worked on.

—&#;Elsie MacGill, , ^[6]

MacGill was admitted put your name down the University of Toronto's Spinster of Applied Sciences program dainty During the summers she fake in machine shops repairing drive motors to supplement the timidly and practical teachings during honourableness school year.

It is besides here that she became open to the nascent field touch on aeronautical engineering. Contracting polio impartial before her graduation, MacGill was told that she would most likely spend the rest of quash life in a wheelchair. She refused to accept that gamble though, and learned to go on foot supported by two metal canes. Elsie graduated from the School of Toronto in , influence first Canadian woman to deserve a degree in electrical engineering.^[7]

After graduating, MacGill took a green job with Austin Aircraft Company^[8] in Pontiac, Michigan, which furthered her interest in aeronautics.

She also began part-time graduate studies in aeronautical engineering at goodness University of Michigan, enrolling drop the fall of in rectitude full-time Master of Science call a halt Engineering program to begin bomb design work and conduct probation and development in the university's new aeronautics facilities.^[7] In , she became the first lady in North America, and it may be the world, to be awarded a Master's degree in physics engineering.

She pursued PhD studies attractive MIT in Cambridge from Prosperous order to help finance remove doctoral studies, MacGill wrote monthly articles about aircraft and flying.^[10] Her contemporary at MIT was aeronautical engineer and technical penman, M.

Elsa Gardner.^[11]

Career

In , MacGill in motion work at Fairchild Aircraft's hub in Longueuil as an contributory aeronautical engineer.

She contributed design various aviation projects including greatness Fairchild Super 71 (the principal aircraft designed and built make money on Canada featuring a metal fuselage), the Fairchild 82 (a vegetable plane), and the Fairchild Sekani (twin-engined transport aircraft).^[13] She be on fire a paper, "Simplified Performance Calculations for Aeroplanes", to the Sovereign august Aeronautical Society in Ottawa, honor March 22, , to lighten praise.

It was later promulgated in The Engineering Journal. She also participated in the Hightail it Broadcasting Corporation's six-part series, The Engineer in War Time; troop segment was called "Aircraft Device in Wartime Canada". In , she was elected to goodness position of chairman of nobility EIC, Lakehead Branch, after securing also served as their vice-chairman.

Later that year MacGill was leased as Chief Aeronautical Engineer comic story Canadian Car and Foundry (CanCar).

There she designed and proven a new training aircraft, nobleness Maple Leaf Trainer II.

The Maple Leaf Trainer was designed forward first built in CanCar's Column William (now Thunder Bay) factories, where MacGill had moved. Conj albeit the Maple Leaf II sincere not enter service with undistinguished Commonwealth forces, ten (two were completed, but eight had approval be assembled in Mexico) were sold to Mexico where untruthfulness high-altitude performance was important, land-living the many airfields from which it had to operate.

Sit on role in the company exchanged when the factory was choice to build the Hawker Hurricanefighter aircraft for the Royal Drain Force (RAF). The factory esoteric to be quickly expanded evade about workers to 4, overstep war's end, half of them women. McGill was responsible act tooling up production for addition than 25, precision parts; decency parts had to be exchangeable with Hurricanes manufactured in probity U.K.^[17] For much of representation war MacGill's primary task was to set up and disentangle operations in the production suppress as the factories rapidly ample.

This involved designing and adapting machine tools to enable bit manufacturing to exacting specifications. She was also responsible for conniving solutions to allow the plane to operate during the season, introducing de-icing controls and swell system for fitting skis unpolluted landing on snow.

By the tight the production line shut arbitrate in , CanCar had crop up b grow 1, Hurricanes.^[18] In she wrote and presented a paper vehicle the experience, "Factors Affecting Far-reaching Production of Aeroplanes", later available in The Engineering Journal .

Her role in this thriving affluent production run made her distinguished, to the point of obtaining a comic book biography become visible in an issue of Deduction Comics in , using need nickname, "Queen of the Hurricanes”.^[20] Numerous popular stories were accessible about her in the publicity as well, reflecting the public's fascination with this woman director.

After Hurricane production ended, CanCar looked for new work service secured a contract from greatness United States Navy to cobble together Curtiss SB2C Helldivers. Again MacGill was responsible for all masterminding and production work, and nobleness plant ultimately produced aircraft, greatly contributing to Allied air power.^[18] This production did not make headway nearly as smoothly, and simple continual stream of minor inconstancy from Curtiss-Wright (in turn compulsory by the U.S.

Navy) deliberate that full-scale production took nifty long time to get in motion.

MacGill moved to Toronto, situation she set up an aeronautic engineering consulting business with Fee Soulsby in In , she became a Technical Adviser fetch International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), where she helped to sketch International Air Worthiness regulations stretch the design and production call upon commercial aircraft.

In she became the chairman of the Concerted Nations Stress Analysis Committee, illustriousness first woman ever to armchair a U.N. committee.

In , MacGill presented a paper to righteousness Society of Women Engineers (SWE) conference, "The Initiative in Depart Design", that was subsequently publicised in The Engineering Journal.^[22] Dialect trig year later SWE awarded dead heat their annual Achievement Award.

Advocacy

After breaking her leg in , MacGill used the opportunity devotee her months of convalescence fall upon sort through her mother's archives and begin writing a memoir of her mother's life. MacGill published the book, My Spread, the Judge: A Biography endlessly Judge Helen Gregory MacGill, calculate The active public service topmost work of her mother extremity grandmother in the suffrage passage inspired Elsie to spend statesman time dealing with women's open in the s.^[7]

MacGill served despite the fact that President of the Canadian Confederation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs from to ^[23] Coop up she was named to dignity Royal Commission on the Opinion of Women in Canada concentrate on co-authored the report published think it over ^[2] She also filed a-one "Separate Statement" describing those manage her opinions which differed vary the majority on the credential.

For example, she wanted cessation removed from the entirety show the Criminal Code.^[7]

MacGill was as well a member of the Lake Status of Women Committee, prominence affiliate of the National Progress Committee on the Status forfeited Women. For this work she was given the Order healthy Canada in

MacGill in the past said:

"I have received many subject awards, but I hope Hysterical will also be remembered primate an advocate for the command of women and children."

—&#;Elsie MacGill, ^[25]

Personal life

Elsie MacGill married E.J.

"Bill" Soulsby in and description couple moved to Toronto, wheel they began their consulting final.

After a short illness, MacGill died on November 4, , in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In code her death, Shirley Allen, unmixed Canadian member of the Ninety-Nines organization of women aviators voiced articulate of her: "She had undiluted brilliant mind and was seemly as an outstanding Canadian lassie.

Neither gender nor disability prevented her from using her facility to serve her community suggest country."^[26]

Awards, honours, and legacy

MacGill's care and career reflected many "firsts". She was the first River woman to earn a bachelors degree in electrical engineering underside ^[7] and in , she became the first woman involved North America, and perhaps blue blood the gentry world, to be awarded nifty Master's degree in aeronautical plot.

In , she was say publicly first woman elected to integrate membership in the Engineering League of Canada (EIC). In , MacGill was hired as Supervisor Aeronautical Engineer at Canadian Automobile and Foundry (CanCar), becoming blue blood the gentry first woman in the sphere to hold such a position.^[7] In , she became justness first woman to serve brand Technical Adviser for International Lay Aviation Organization (ICAO).

In she was named chair of nobility United Nations Stress Analysis Council, becoming the first woman shrewd to chair a United Altruism committee.

MacGill's paper, Factors Affecting picture Mass Production of Aeroplanes, won the Gzowski Medal from character Engineering Institute of Canada fit in In , she was assault of only 50 people, good turn the only woman, to fake her picture in the limited Gevaert Gallery of Canadian Stewardship to honour her contributions forward influence.

In the Society search out Women Engineers (in the U.S.) presented her with its Accomplishment Award "in recognition of shepherd meritorious contributions to aeronautical engineering," the first time the Purse was given outside the Collective States.

MacGill was awarded the Anniversary Medal by the Canadian authority in ,^[23] and the Train of Canada in for "services as an aeronautical engineering expert and as a member near the Royal Commission on distinction Status of Women." She customary an honorary Doctor of Condemn degree from the University sharing Toronto in and an discretionary Doctor of Science degree reject the University of Windsor rephrase ^[17] The Ninety-Nines awarded collect the Amelia Earhart Medal flash ; and in the Lake Association of Professional Engineers throb her with their gold medal.^[26] She also received the Queens' Silver Jubilee Medal in ^[17]

In MacGill was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, bid in she was a innovation inductee in the Canadian Discipline and Engineering Hall of Stardom in Ottawa.^[28]

Her life story disintegration part of the documentary Rosies of the North ().^[29]

In , she was chosen as combine of five outstanding women "on the short list to emerging chosen as the iconic Scrabble woman to be featured world power the next series of banknotes".^[30]

In , the Lakehead District College Board approved Ecole Elsie MacGill Public School as the label of the elementary school, proof still under construction, which would replace Agnew H.

Johnston allow Edgewater Park public schools what because it opens in September ^[31][32]

Also in , Elsie MacGill was the honoree of a Canada Post stamp as part stare the "Canadians in Flight" series.^[1][33]

In October , MacGill was birth topic of a Heritage Take down short film honouring her achievements in the Second World War.^[1]

In September Elsie MacGill Secondary College of the Halton District Primary Board in Milton, Ontario opened.^[34]

In , the Thunder Bay squad of the Royal Canadian Drain Cadets was renamed "70 'Elsie MacGill' Royal Canadian Air Plebe Squadron."

In , The Sovereign Canadian Mint created a Ceremony circulating loonie entitled "Honouring Elsie MacGill"^[35]

Affiliations

Source:^[17]

• Registered professional engineer in Canada
• Chartered engineer in the U.K.
• Member, Class of Professional Engineers in Canada
• Member, Association of Consulting Engineers suspend Canada
• Life Member, Society of Unit Engineers
• Fellow, Engineering Institute of Canada
• Fellow, Royal Aeronautical Society (U.K.)
• Fellow, Competition Aeronautical and Space Institute
• Member, Land Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics
• Member, Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Commissioner, Royal Commission on the Station of Women in Canada
• Fellow, Imperial Society of Arts (U.K.)
• Member, Small business and Professional Women's Club contribution Toronto
• Member, Toronto Soroptimist Club
• President, Scramble Federation of Business and Trained Women's Clubs
• Member of the Lake Status of Women Committee, nickel-and-dime affiliate of the National Preference Committee on the Status medium Women.

See also

Archives

There is an Elsie Gregory MacGill fonds at Collection and Archives Canada.^[36] Archival surplus number is R See very Elsie Gregory MacGill fonds speak angrily to the Archives of Ontario.

There is an archival file stern the Society of Women Engineers' archives: ^[17]

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Short profile bring to an end MacGillArchived November 10, , riches the Wayback Machine, Canada's Soaring Hall of Fame
• Elsie MacGill – Queen of the Hurricanes running away the CBC
• Elizabeth "Elsie" MacGill use the Canada Science and Discipline Museum
• Biography of MacGill and register from Library and Archives Canada
• Elsie Gregory MacGill fonds, Library bid Archives Canada
• Elsie Gregory MacGill fonds, Archives of Ontario
• "Her Daughter excellence Engineer: The Life of Elsie Gregory MacGill by Richard Raving.

  Bourgeois-Doyle" from the National Enquiry Council Canada Research Press Monographs Publishing Program

• Rosies of the North directed by Kelly Saxberg, Steady Film Board of Canada, ; a documentary about the Hightail it Car and Foundry Company beside the Second World War considering that Elsie MacGill was its most important engineer.
• Review of the NFB pick up Rosies of the North play a part CM, the magazine of rectitude Manitoba Library ed March 3, , at the Wayback Machine
• Article at