Mary Wallihan Gibson


The Wellman Engineering Company

Mary Wallihan Gibson (1883-1972) was a graduate of the University of Colorado, Denver. Together with her husband, Canadian-born mechanical engineer Alfred E. Gibson, she was involved in The Wellman Engineering Company, Cleveland, Ohio. Together with him, she received an award from the James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation recognizing their scientific contributions to arc welding, especially on low alloy high strength steels.

Mary Wallihan Gibson and Alfred E. Gibson observe a welding operation, 1938

© Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 90-105 - Science Service, Records, 1920s-1970s


Mary Wallihan Gibson settled in the Cleveland, Ohio area after marrying Alfred E. Gibson in 1910. She was an active member of Pi Beta Phi, organizing gatherings and sitting on committees. She was the first president of the Cleveland Pan-Hellenic Association.

 

In 1938 the couple won the "Grand Award" from the Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation, Alfred and Mary were "president and stockholder, respectively" of the Wellman Engineering Company. Their prize was $13,941.33 for their paper on "Commercial Weldery."

References

Meghan Ferriter: Audiences Solving Mysteries of Women in Science. 3 December 2013.