Avionics News March 2012 - 68

THEORY & PRACTICE

Continued from page 67

the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics gave her the Wyld Award in rocket propulsion, and The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers gave her the Dr. Judith A. Resnik Award. In 2009, Brill received the John Fritz Medal from the Association of Engineering Societies. In 2010, she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Brill can take significant credit for U.S. leadership in space, including our GPS. Last year, another pioneering female engineer passed away at the age of 81. Arminta Harness was born the daughter of an oilman. While in high school, she decided to become an aeronautical engineer. Her parents fully supported her choice. Harness graduated from the University of Southern California in 1955,

with an aeronautical engineering degree. After failing to secure employment as an engineer, Harness entered the U.S. Air Force. For a while, she worked as a recruiter, but she later transferred to the Wright Patterson Air Force Base for an engineering job. Unfortunately, the base processing officer didn’t think a woman should be an engineer and assigned her administrative duties. Harness found another way. She trained another officer to do her administrative work and then assigned herself to the engineering position, which made her the first female aeronautical engineer in the Air Force. She also was the first woman to receive a staff development engineer rating and both senior and master missileman badges. Harness was rumored to fly before she could drive. According to Millie Kruger, a biochemist and neighbor, at one point during her career, she had

flown every airplane model in the Air Force inventory. While working at the Aerial Reconnaissance Laboratory at Wright Patterson, Harness was the first woman assigned as a test engineer during new equipment flight testing. Of course, she designed these experimental systems. She began working with the Gemini program in 1963, where she became the chief of program control for the Gemini target vehicle. After 24 years in the Air Force, Harness retired with the rank of Lt. Col., and she joined Westinghouse Hanford as technical assistant to the company president and managed laboratory planning for the nuclear development. Harness is another multiple award winner. The SWE lists her as an engineering pioneer. She served as the SWE president from 1976 to 1978 and designed the SWE’s Resnik Challenger Medal. Harness earned the National Defense Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Services Commendation Medal and the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal. The Institute for Advancement of Engineering acknowledged her as a fellow and awarded her the Engineering Achievement Merit Award. Years may pass before we learn about all of her contributions. Some of her programs were undoubtedly top secret. Apollo, space stations and the shuttle program all relied on the ability of spacecraft to dock, and proving docking capabilities was one of the major goals of the Gemini program. Harness deserves partial credit for this, and for blazing the trail for female engineers in the Air Force and aerospace industry. These women, and many others, marked the path for women in aviation today. In my college, and in others, I have not seen enough women following these trails. Scholarships go unclaimed, and seats go empty. I hope young women get a chance to research and read about these women who can inspire us all. q

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Avionics News March 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News March 2012