IF YOU NEED A JOB DOING RIGHT GET A WOMAN TO DO IT
My prior blog focussed on an Australian lady genius, but today, I want to move onto another lady genius, this one a British lady and not Mrs Mullard Magic who many of you know I ridicule in my blog posts for being an old bat despite her being a PhD qualified scientist responsible for the invention of a mechanism and manufacturing pathway for a cephalosporin antibiotic as well as being the inventor of a 3200ASA black & white film. Perhaps I will for the future call her Dr. Mullard Magic instead whilst still taking the Michael!!!!
Today's genius lady is of course Dame Caroline Haslett who started off in 1916 with the Cochran Boiler Company where she acquired an engineering training before going on to become secretary of the Women's Engineering Society and thence president of the same in 1941.
Dame Caroline's work with the 1942 IEE committee on improving electrical safety in the home led to the implication of the BS 1363 standard for three-pin fused plugs and shuttered sockets. This regulation is still in use today; which means that every individual in Britain continues to be protected by Dame Caroline Haslett’s legacy!
From 1946-1954 she was the only woman member of the Council of the British Institute of Management and in 1953-1954 was chairman of the British Electrical Development Association, the first time a woman had been appointed to that office. Also she was the only woman member of the British Electricity Authority 1947-1956 - a popular appointment in view of the importance of domestic electrical development.
In recognition of her services she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1931 and in 1947 was promoted to Dame Commander of the British Empire.