Edna MacLean: HP’s First Female Engineer

In 1953, Edna MacLean became Hewlett-Packard’s first female engineer after she graduated from Stanford University. MacLean had been working for HP as a part-time lab technician in R&D while she completed her degree in Electrical Engineering, and upon graduation became a full-time production engineer. While in this role, MacLean frequently contributed to HP print publications, writing about her work and, in 1958, her experiences as a woman engineer. MacLean called the field “challenging and rewarding for the right woman,” adding, “Future opportunities for women in technical fields can only increase.”