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Papers of Dame Caroline Haslett

UK0108 NAEST 033

1923-1967

32 boxes

English.

These papers were donated by Mrs R Messenger, sister and sole executrix of Dame Caroline's estate. She used the papers to write a biography of Dame Caroline and the original order of the papers as sorted by Mrs Messenger has been retained and indicated by an accession number e.g. Acc No. M/1-207., Caroline Haslett was born at Worth, Sussex in 1895 and after an education at Haywards Heath joined the Cochran Boiler Company during the First World War. There she acquired an engineering training and from that time became something of a pioneer for women in the electrical and professional world. In 1919 she became first secretary of the Women's Engineering Society (WES) and was president of the WES in 1941. In 1924 she became the first director fo the Electrical Association for Women of which she was a joint-founder. The Association did much to encourage the electrification of home through its activities and literature, for Dame Caroline was keen to ensure that industry took note of the great need of the housewife for modern improvements and that women should be informed of the potentialities of science in the home. She became Chairman of the Council of Scientific Management in the Home and presented papers on home management in various countries. 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. She was, too, the only woman member of the British Electricity Authority 1947-1956 - a popular appointment in view of the importance of domestic electrical development. Dame Caroline's activities aroused great interest among a number of women's organisations, town planning authorities and other bodies and she was active in many such organisations. She became President of the British Federation of Business and Professional Women and in 1950 became President of the International Federation. She travelled widely in connection with her offices, to Europe, the Middle East, Canada and the United States. During the Second World War she undertook several missions at the request of the British and United States Governments and was appointed chairman of the Hosiery Working Party and Honorary Advisor on Women's Training to the Ministry of Labour. 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. The IEE elected her a companion in 1932 and she was JP for the County of London from 1950. To avoid confusion, Dame Caroline has been referred to as such throughout the handlist, before and after her decoration in 1947.

Women in engineering, Women

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