Gleason, Kate, 1865-1933

Kate Gleason; Born Catherine Anselm Gleason, November 25, 1865, Rochester, New York, US; Died January 9, 1933 (aged 67), Rochester, New York, US; Her father was the owner of a machine tool company, later named Gleason Works, which later became one of the most important makers of gear-cutting machine tools in the world. When she was 11, her stepbrother Tom died of typhoid fever, causing hardship at her father's company because Tom had been an important helper. At the age of 12 she began working for her father to fill the void left by Tom's death. In 1884, she was the first woman to be admitted to study engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, although she was unable to complete her studies at Cornell due to her required presence in the factory. She continued her studies upon returning to Rochester at the Mechanics Institute, later renamed Rochester Institute of Technology; She was actively involved as the treasurer as well as saleswoman for Gleason Works. In 1893, she toured Europe to expand the company's business, one of the first times an American manufacturer tried to globalize their business. Today, international sales make up almost 3/4 of the company's business; Due to conflicts with her family she left Gleason Works in 1913 and found work at the Ingle Machining Company. She Joined Ingle Machine Company on 1 January 1914. She was appointed the receiver of bankruptcy for the company, the first woman to do so. Under her guidance she restored the company and repaid their outstanding debts; Gleason was a supporter of women's suffrage. According to an account of 1912 National America Woman Suffrage Association Convention mentions Gleason as having promised $1,200 to the suffrage movement, one of its largest pledges;She died January 9, 1933 of pneumonia and is interred in Riverside Cemetery in Rochester. She left much of her $1.4 million estate to institutions in the Rochester area, including libraries, parks, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. The Kate Gleason College of Engineering at RIT is named in her honor, and her bust stands proudly in the hallway. Kate Gleason Hall is an RIT residence hall. Gleason Works is still in operation today and retains a strong connection with RIT. In 2010, RIT press published a collection of Gleason's letters;