Yvonne Clark & Irene Sharpe Oral History
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Dublin Core
Title
Yvonne Clark & Irene Sharpe Oral History
Description
Yvonne Young Clark first became interested in engineering when she was a member of the Civil Air Patrol in high school during the Second World War. She originally considered studying aeronautics engineering but decided instead to pursue mechanical engineering at Howard University. In 1951 she became the first woman at Howard to complete her B.S.M.E. She became a licensed professional engineer and was the first woman to receive a master's degree in engineering management from Vanderbilt University.
Clark began her career working at Frankford Arsenal-Gage Laboratories in Philadelphia and RCA in New Jersey. She moved to Nashville with her husband in 1955 but found few opportunities available to her in industry. She accepted a position as a mechanical engineering instructor and became the first female faculty member in the College of Engineering and Technology at Tennessee State University. Clark has taught at TSU for over 50 years, where she served twice as department chair and eventually became an associate professor. During summer breaks at TSU Clark has worked in the field for numerous organizations including the Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA, Westinghouse, and Ford Motor Company.
Clark joined the Society of Women Engineers in 1952 and has served on its Executive Committee. She was elected to the College of Fellows in 1984 and received the Distinguished Engineering Educator Award from SWE in 1998. Clark is also an active member of the American Society of Engineering Education and the Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Irene Sharpe recognizes the irony in her career choice, given that her childhood home did not have electricity until she was in middle school. While her family wanted her to become a math teacher Sharpe chose instead to study electrical engineering at Howard University, earning her degree in 1963.
Sharpe spent the first 14 years of her career designing power distribution and control systems for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service. In 1977 Sharpe changed the focus of her career, working on automotive electrical systems at Ford Motor Company and later at General Motors Corporation in metropolitan Detroit. In 1988 she joined United Technologies, where she remained until her retirement as a principle engineer in 1999.
Sharpe has been a member of the Society of Women Engineers since 1962 and was elected to the College of Fellows in 1990. She has been an officer for several sections, served on the national Executive Committee, and chaired the 1982 national convention. Sharpe is also an active member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Clark began her career working at Frankford Arsenal-Gage Laboratories in Philadelphia and RCA in New Jersey. She moved to Nashville with her husband in 1955 but found few opportunities available to her in industry. She accepted a position as a mechanical engineering instructor and became the first female faculty member in the College of Engineering and Technology at Tennessee State University. Clark has taught at TSU for over 50 years, where she served twice as department chair and eventually became an associate professor. During summer breaks at TSU Clark has worked in the field for numerous organizations including the Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA, Westinghouse, and Ford Motor Company.
Clark joined the Society of Women Engineers in 1952 and has served on its Executive Committee. She was elected to the College of Fellows in 1984 and received the Distinguished Engineering Educator Award from SWE in 1998. Clark is also an active member of the American Society of Engineering Education and the Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Irene Sharpe recognizes the irony in her career choice, given that her childhood home did not have electricity until she was in middle school. While her family wanted her to become a math teacher Sharpe chose instead to study electrical engineering at Howard University, earning her degree in 1963.
Sharpe spent the first 14 years of her career designing power distribution and control systems for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service. In 1977 Sharpe changed the focus of her career, working on automotive electrical systems at Ford Motor Company and later at General Motors Corporation in metropolitan Detroit. In 1988 she joined United Technologies, where she remained until her retirement as a principle engineer in 1999.
Sharpe has been a member of the Society of Women Engineers since 1962 and was elected to the College of Fellows in 1990. She has been an officer for several sections, served on the national Executive Committee, and chaired the 1982 national convention. Sharpe is also an active member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
Oral History Item
Interviewer
Lauren Kata
Interviewee
Clark, Yvonne; Sharpe, Irene
Date Recorded
2001-06-29
Coverage
1930’s-present
Citation
“Yvonne Clark & Irene Sharpe Oral History,” Michigan Oral History Database, accessed April 2, 2025, http://www.database.michiganoha.org/items/show/293.