• In 1953, Edna MacLean became Hewlett-Packard’s first woman engineer after graduating from Stanford, breaking barriers in a male-dominated field.
• In 1958, MacLean gave a landmark speech about the challenges facing women in engineering, offering encouragement to future generations.
• Jane Evans, hired in 1965, was the first woman to join HP as an engineer with her degree in hand, setting a precedent for future hires.
• Over 25 years, Evans advanced to product manager, became the first woman elected as an IEEE regional director and was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame.
Edna MacLean’s path at Hewlett-Packard began as a part-time lab technician while she completed her degree in electrical engineering at Stanford University. In 1953, HP promoted her to full-time production engineer, making her the company’s first woman in an engineering role. At a time when women were rarely encouraged to enter technical fields, MacLean’s promotion was a milestone.
She soon became a visible advocate for women in engineering. In 1958, she delivered a speech to the Women’s Association of the Electronics Industry, later published in Electronic News and an HP newsletter. Acknowledging the obstacles women faced, she nevertheless expressed optimism that opportunities would grow. At HP, she helped establish operations in Loveland, Colorado, the company’s first U.S. manufacturing site outside the Bay Area.
Jane Evans joined HP in 1965 as an applications engineer, the first woman hired by the company with her engineering degree already completed. A graduate of San Jose State University and its first female electrical engineering major, Evans built a 25-year career at HP. She rose to product manager, led major projects in the Interface Buses Division and mentored other women pursuing technical careers.
Evans’ influence extended beyond HP. She became the first woman elected as Region Six Director of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), received the IEEE Centennial Medal and was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame in 1999.
Together, MacLean and Evans set a precedent for inclusion at HP and in Silicon Valley. Their careers demonstrated the value of women’s contributions in engineering and laid the foundation for HP’s continued efforts to support gender diversity in the workplace — a legacy that endures in the company’s pledge to achieve gender parity in leadership by 2030.
The Hewlett-Packard Company Archives (HPCA) is dedicated to preserving and sharing HP’s rich heritage. Look for further stories about HP’s history in future issues of this newsletter. Please note that throughout this story we have included hyperlinks to related content on the HPCA Virtual Vault, providing additional information and visual accompaniments.
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