Collection of Peggy Hodges' personal and working papers including records relating to :
Girton College, GEC (MSDS), Societies and Committees (WES, Soroptimist International, Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, IEEIE, IIE, Design Council EDAC, SRC), Lectures and Talks to Institutions (Verena Holmes Lecture), Awards (Whitney Straight Award, OBE), Certificates and Diplomas (FRAeS, FIMA, Honorary FIEEIE), Personal Records, Published Papers, Press Cuttings and Biographical information.
Exent
Four boxes
Language
English.
Admin. history/Biography
Peggy Lilian Hodges OBE, MA, CEng, FRAeS, FIMA, was born in London on 11th June, 1921 before moving to the Essex coast where she was educated at Westcliff High School. Hodges studied Mathematics at Girton College, Cambridge and graduated with an Honours degree during World War II. After graduation Hodges worked for 7 years at Standard Telephone and Cables (STC) as a Junior Radio Engineer in the Radio Division working on the engineering design and development of airborne communications and blind landing equipment. In 1950 Hodges joined the GEC Applied Electronics Laboratories at Stanmore, Middlesex to work on defence projects, primarily guided weapons, first as a microwave engineer and then as a systems engineer concerned with systems studies and simulation (mathematical modelling) with increasing responsibility. Hodges became Systems Manager and then Project Manager of a Guided Weapons Project (Sea Dart Guidance) in the Guided Weapons Division. After spending 2½ years in the Underwater Weapons division setting up part of the Systems Department associated with trials planning and analysis for air-launched guided torpedoes she returned to become Simulation Manager and, after retirement in 1981, general systems consultant on aspects of missile guidance in the Guided Weapons Division of Marconi Space and Defence Systems (MSDS), Stanmore.
Hodges was a lifelong member of the Women’s Engineering Society from 1960 becoming a Member of Council, Careers Officer and President 1971-73 and in 1979 gave the Verena Holmes Lecture entitled ‘Control – Feedback completes the circle’. In 1969 she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and was also a member of the Astronautics and Guided Flight Committee. She became a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) and member of Council 1971-73. Between 1971-75 Hodges was a member of the Engineering Design Advisory Committee (EDAC) and member of the Science Research Council Control and Instrumentation Sub-Committee 1980-82. Honorary Fellow IEEIE 1994.
Hodges won the Whitney Straight Award in 1970 for outstanding achievement in aviation which was presented by HRH Prince Charles and in the same year appeared in a TV film ‘Made In Britain’ concerned with a “Woman in a Man’s World”. She was awarded the OBE in 1972 for her contribution to guided weapon technology.
Hodges died in 2008.
