Ruby Singleton Langford #27

Ruby Singleton Langford, SWE Founding Member, Charter Member of the Philadelphia Section, and a Life Member, moved to Philadelphia in 1948 from Florida and was very active in the section until she moved to New York City in 1952. She attended Drexel Evening College to study electrical engineering while she was working full time as a draftsman. She was Assistant Editor and Art Editor of the early editions of the Section Newsletter. She also served in the office of Corresponding Secretary in 1951. The original SWE logo and the “OUTLOOK” masthead for the Section newsletter were designed by Ruby.

After moving to New York, she held many offices in the New York Section and chaired the 1964 SWE National Convention that was held in New York. In later years, she never forgot her southern roots and remained active in the Western Carolina and Florida Sections even though she lived in the northeastern region of the United States.

Ruby grew up in the southeastern part of the United States in the mid 1920’s to 1930’s. She graduated from Mooresville, N.C. High School, then graduated from Jacksonville, FL Vocational School, and back to Charlotte, NC to attend the N.Y.A. Technical School. Her training as a metal smith was complete in 1942 when she was almost 17 years of age.

After her schooling she went to work at a succession of four companies in the Jacksonville, FL area but never stayed more than a few yeas at each. At Merrill-Stevens Dry Dock & Repair Co., she worked as a metal smith (layout, assembly, welding, riveting) and then as a drafting room clerk. At Miller Electric Co. Electrical Contractors, she did marine electrical work such as drafting, tracing, cataloging and blueprint filing. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Architects & Engineers hired her to do drafting tasks such as catalog files, perform calculations, “map work” and commercial illustrations for publication.

In 1948, Ruby moved to Philadelphia, PA and worked for George A. Gieseke, C.E., where she utilized her drafting skills. By 1951, she had the title of First Class Draftsman at the Catalytic Construction Co. In 1952, she relocated once again, this time to New York City where she worked for an engineering and construction firm. In NYC, she attended Columbia University, majored in Industrial Engineering, and received her B. S. degree in 1956. It was at Columbia University that she received an award for the best freshman English paper from Tau Beta Pi, the Engineering Honorary Society. After receiving her degree, she was hired by a Norwalk, Connecticut company: Burndy Corporation’s Utility-Industrial Division, where she worked as a technical service engineer.

Ruby met and married her husband while living in the New York area. She was also an associate member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers.

Sources:
SWE Archives - Member Application and Resume
"In Memory." SWE MAGAZINE. March/April 1994.
"Burndy Uses 'Womanpower To Ease Engineer Shortage." HOUR, a company publication. 1957.

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