Born: 1903 (circa), United States (assumed)
Died: 28 August 1993
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
The following was written by Nina Baker and is excerpted from the book From Alchemy to Transport Phenomena: A Global History of Women in Chemical Engineering.
Petrochemical engineering specialist Dorothy Quiggle (1903-93) may be considered to be the first American woman to have a full career in chemical engineering, graduating with her chemical engineer BSc (1926) and MSc (1927) from MIT and taking assistant and lecturer roles there and at Pennsylvania State University before getting her PhD from Penn State in 1936, where she was their first female faculty member in science or engineering. During WW2 her research for the Office for Scientific Research and Development dealt with catalysis, high-pressure reactions, petroleum refining technology (cracking, fractionation), the knock-rating of gasoline, oxidation of hydrocarbons, and selective absorbents for gasses, all important for the war effort. She became a full professor in 1953 and was instrumental in establishing both Penn State’s Department of Chemical Engineering and the Petroleum Refining Laboratory. She retired in 1969 having published 25 papers and a patent for a solution to rapidly remove free oxygen from gases. Penn State honours her with its Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Assistant Professorships.