Back in 2018, the Society of Women Engineers highlighted the life and accomplishments of civil engineer Elsie Eaves. As the first woman to graduate from University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in civil engineering, Eaves’ work inspired future generations of engineers.

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is celebrating Women’s History Month with a look back at the life of Elsie Eaves. She was a founding member of SWE in 1950 and became a Fellow of the Society 30 years later, the first member to receive that honor.

Eaves was the first woman admitted to full membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 1927. For 37 years, she was on the editorial staff of the Engineering News-Record (ENR) and worked for McGraw-Hill in New York City. She was a registered Professional Engineer in New York.