The First Lady of Structural Engineering

Elmina Wilson (1870–1918)

Elmina Wilson was the first woman to graduate with a degree in civil engineering from Iowa State University. She didn't stop there. She went on to become the first woman to hold a full-time position as a civil engineering professor in the U.S.

Why She’s a Konstellation Icon:

• Sky-High Ambition: She moved to New York City to work for a leading engineering firm where she helped design some of the city's earliest skyscrapers.

• The Bridge Designer: Before moving to New York, she worked on the design of the Marston Water Tower and various bridge projects, mastering the structural integrity of steel and masonry.

• The Global Student: She took a year off to travel through Europe and study the greatest architectural and engineering feats of the Old World, bringing those technical insights back to her American projects.