The Rewards of Old Files: Historical Goldmine

The Rewards of Old Files - Historical Goldmine: I spent the morning looking at all the unpublished stuff I've written over the years....

(live on 2nd blog)

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

T for Tapputi: Female Scientists Before Our Time

Recipe for Perfume

Combine flowers with oil, calamus,

cyperus, myrrh and balsam. 

Mix with water or other solvents.  

Distill. Filter several times. 

 (my format)

This recipe for perfume was found in ancient Babylonian Mesopotamia on a cuneiform tablet dating 1200 BC. It’s the world’s first known record of a perfume-maker and a chemist, and the oldest recorded reference to a still, the apparatus used to distill liquids. The recipe had been recorded by Tapputi (also called Tapputi-Belatekallium).  

"Belatekallium" was the title for female overseer, which would have meant Tapputi had a position of authority at the Royal Palace. A second name, nini, was inscribed on the cuneiform with Tapputi's, but the first part of the name was missing on the tablet [???-nini] . 

1200 BC. Tapputi-Belatekallium's cuneiform table with perfume recipe.

Ancient Mesopotamians and Egyptians are credited with the origins of perfume-making. Egyptians used perfume in religious and cleansing ceremonies, and for embalming, but eventually used perfume as a personal scent too. Burning perfumed incense to the gods would have been important in both cultures, for offerings to their deities and for enhancing the mind and spirit. The medicinal properties of perfume would have played a role as well. In Mesopotamia, for instance, perfume was used for inhalation, poultices, and in medicated baths. 

Egypt relief of perfume-making from flowers pressed in a cloth, 4th Cent BC

The connection between a perfume-maker and a chemist did not require much convincing for me. As I wrote this piece, memories of my daughter and the little perfume-maker kit she had received at Christmas years back kept popping into mind. It may have been her most favorite gift of all time. Dolls were of no interest in comparison. The family oohed and awed over the fragrant scents she created. Years later when she pursued a degree in Micro-Biology, I remembered the little scientist blossoming in our home. It made perfect sense she had chosen a science to study. Perhaps Tapputi had been a similar girl as a child. 

Perfume kit I remember giving our daughter for Christmas

 


Source:
https://deathscent.com/2016/03/08/the-lost-history-of-women-in-chemistrythe-first-perfumer/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapputi Worwood, Valerie Ann, 2006. Aromatherapy for the Soul: Healing the Spirit with Fragrance and Essential Oils.
New World Library.
Palmer, Irene, 2013. Perfume, Soap and Candle Making - The Beginner’s Guide. Lulu.

 

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

2016 A-Z Reflection: Pioneer Women in Aviation

I survived! My thanks to Arlee Bird and the April Challenge team for another successful year. I am proud to say this was my fourth A-Z. 

As was the case last year, I nearly backed out, and perhaps should have this time. When you live in the desert, April is your best gardening month. I wrote most of my posts the night before and gardened somewhere in between. Each post took 6 to 8 hours to research, write and edit, which meant a few all-nighters, and believe me, I’m getting too old for all-nighters. Talk about brain drain! Although not physically exhausted in body and limb, I sure slept a lot afterward.

Once I made the commitment, I stayed the course and focused on that 'waving raised flag' at the finish line. I have always been motivated by deadlines imposed by others apparently, but not so much when self-imposed. This brings up an interesting discovery about myself as a writer. I am not very self-motivated when writing toward a goal I have personally set. I don't know why. A flaw of mine (yes, I have my share) and one I regret. But I think I need a more tangible goal, one that spells S-U-C-C-E-S-S.

Accountability to the publishing community, which for me, the A-Z certainly qualifies, has a tangible finish line. Success awaits me! A work-for-hire writing experience is another case in point. I wrote and had a book edited over a four-month deadline once, for the educational market. I had an editor cracking the whip the entire time. Today, I still hear her voice in my head: ”stay focused, don’t go off on tangents.” It has helped me tremendously in writing nonfiction for the A-Z. The jury is still out on whether it has helped my fiction. I need to ponder this some more.

I loved my topic this year, almost as much as last year’s “Inventions by Women.” Why, you may ask, do I write specifically about women? First of all, I enjoy history and learning about the different events that have shaped our culture and world, but to be honest, most history is based on male achievement and told from a male perspective. I knew from college that women did indeed contribute a lot to world history and culture, but you had to sign up for the right history class to discover this, none of which was a required course. This is not to say that male achievement is any less worthy or important!! I could have just as easily written about “Pioneer Men in Aviation” and thoroughly enjoyed the process.

However, given the history of women with low self-esteem (my family included) who felt oppressed as girls (and adults), blocked from their full human potential, and as late bloomers struggled/struggle, I wanted to show that realization of dreams is possible at any age. I wanted to show that others have struggled in their pursuits and made a lasting mark on history. I wanted to inspire and encourage both young and old that they could too. 

My niece Jammie joined the Air Force and achieved her dream to fly at a young age, and has made aviation history as the first female F-22 pilot. We are all so proud of her. Today she is home raising two young children, another great feat in her list of achievements.

2008. First Female F-22 pilot Capt. Jammie Jamieson
with husband Capt. Kevin Jamieson

Despite the craziness of the April Challenge, I am retired from my day job, so trying to garden and write on the fly certainly had their perks. Ten arborvitaes are now in the ground and the vegetable garden is fully planted. I visited a large number of blogs too, but unfortunately, most were ones I knew. There just wasn’t enough time to strike up new blog friendships. I hope that those visiting for the first time will return. I regret not having more time.

Below are some photos of my husband and me in the RV8. I guess you could say we are the latest pioneer aviators on the list. Vince built our plane over a twelve-year period in the garage, and took several months more to paint it. (I take credit for the upholstery). He is the first member in our family to build an airplane. He was inspired to fly by the old “Sky King” TV series in the 1950s. We laugh sometimes, because the geography of our new home and location looks very much like Sky King’s ranch land. Vince never stopped dreaming, even when it meant building a plane himself to bring the dream to realization.  

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing
  

IWSG - January: Fictional and Real Characters

A recent reflection on fictional and real characters - A true story

"She was a filthy woman," Dad said, describing my great grandmother Ada.

It left an image in my mind of toilet bowls with yellow rings and urine stains on the rim. So she was a lazy woman, I supposed, but what a terrible legacy to leave behind. Would leaving my home dirty and dying suddenly (as Ada had) have a similar effect on my ancestors? As I sat there watching my dad ponder the past, I thought about the seedy bathrooms at old gas stations I'd sometimes been forced to use over the years, the kind that stunk before you even opened the door and had all the tell-tale signs of e-coli or worse.

Dad smiled. "She was a concert pianist once." 

What? More probing uncovered that Ada also had taught piano in her home. So there it was. Ada loved, lived, and breathed music, a far better and kinder depiction than the "filthy" woman Dad had first described. But the more I thought about it, Dad's words had been an honest reflection, a little boy's memory.

Dad had been raised in Lawton, Oklahoma in what must have been a well to do home. Dad remembered the family had a black mammy, which would have been sometime after 1926. When I first learned about the mammy, my understanding of mammies was on the level of what I'd seen in the movie Gone With the Wind. I'd grown to believe it was a deep south practice during the Civil War period. But apparently not. Dad's father was an army officer and his mother an officer's wife. They had the money and photos of them as a young couple revealed a glamorous lifestyle.

A few months later, Dad passed away and I inherited a box of heirlooms, some of which belonged to Ada. Imagine my delight when I then discovered that Ada had had a writer's heart. She wrote on scraps of paper, on the margins of her bible, sheets of notebook paper, in the piano book where she had recorded her students, and on various other keepsakes, all documenting what she believed to be important. A goldmine.

I learned that Ada was born in Illinois to a mother (Margaret) of striking beauty, something Ada was not in photos. She was rather plain but had a strong, confident face. The family moved to Oklahoma when Ada's attorney father, Montraville McCammat Duncan, "made the run" in Kingfisher, OK for land during Oklahoma's famous land rush in 1889. There Montraville served an "unfinished" term as Kingfisher's first mayor.

Ada married James at age 22. "A home wedding," she wrote. "The first in Kingfisher" and "a band serenaded us." But sadly, the joy of that day was lost with the death of two infants: a girl on their first wedding anniversary and a boy the year of the "Snyder Cyclone." My grandfather, their only living child, was born eight years later. The family eventually settled in Lawton, OK.

James died at age 59, possibly of TB (he had spent time in a sanitarium prior to his death), but his ailment was never fully disclosed. Tuberculosis was the Aids of that generation. The newspaper wrote that James had been a well known local pioneer, businessman, and member of the Masonic Lodge, but this was of little aid to Ada. As a widow at 51 her financial position plummeted overnight. Her apartments grew "smaller and smaller," she wrote, and she was forced to move in with her son and wife (my grandparents, the glamorous couple with the mammy). Unhappy with this arrangement, as Ada made known in her notes, it's likely she bickered some with my grandmother.

At some point, Ada had come to know the imprisoned Apache chief, Geronimo, someone my grandfather later recalled visiting as a four-year-old boy in the Lawton prison. My family has the beaded belt that Geronimo gave my grandfather as a gift, proof of one visit in particular, but we can only speculate on the relationship between Ada, my grandfather and Geronimo. My grandfather further claimed to have been the only non Indian to attend Geronimo's funeral. Tall tale? Feel free to comment!

Geronimo's belt, a gift to my grandfather 1903-1904
(shown in 3 sections).  P. H. are my grandfather's initials.

If I were to write about Ada today as a fictional character and the people in her life, I could take her story in several directions, which might be fun to do, but her real story is just as fascinating to me.

When you write fictional characters, how true to life are your characters? Do they start out as someone you know or have read about, and evolve from there, or are they strictly an invention of your mind?

Curious how that works for you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Insecure Writers Support Group meets online every first Wednesday of the month. Founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh, IWSG was created to support and encourage all writers in every phase of their work, from writing to marketing. Click here to join, and for information, writing tips, and more.

January's awesome co-hosts today are L.G. Keltner, Denise Covey, Sheri Larsen, J.Q. Rose, Chemist Ken, and Michelle Wallace!

Congratulations IWSG Winners of the Anthology Contest!! 

The Mirror People by Crystal Collier

Ground Zero by Michael Abayomi

The Seventeen by Hart Johnson

Rainers by Sandra Cox

EVER-TON by Yolanda Renee

WIN by Sylvia Ney

Haunted by Melanie Schultz

Folds in Life and Death by Cherie Reich

Scrying the Plane by Tamara Narayan

Felix Was Here by L.G. Keltner - Winner overall!  

(L.G. will be published in the anthology :) 

Celebrate the Small Things: Gathering Together

--Christmas Dinner at the Community Center last evening. A drawing, some good jokes, conversation, shared food, and bring your own wine. What's not to like? We are about five minutes away from the center. With a population under 5000, no one has far to travel. The Community Center is unofficially the Senior Center (according to some). Members are in their fifties on up, but we are all young at heart, so we downplay the "senior" part.

--Exercise Group. We meet twice a week for stretching, aerobic dance (hey, I'm John Trivolta!), and weight lifting. We follow Jane Fonda's Fit and Firm videos. Boy do I ever sweat. I have exercised on my own all my life, but it's more fun as a group. We recently topped it off, by going out to lunch together.

--Blog gatherings where you encourage me and boost my self-esteem as a writer, and I try to do the same for you. What would I do without your kind words when I need them most?

--Book Club next week at my home.  We are discussing The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man by W. Bruce Cameron. Suspense, romance and humor all tied into one. I highly recommend this novel. I can't seem to put it down, it's that good. It's been a fun break from the YA and Middle grade books I'm reading. As a writer, I am enjoying the author's humorous language and character development. Attention Dog lovers: this one's for you!

--Cozy Comforts, a group that meets to make blankets for the needy. I recently pulled out my crochet needles, tired of saying "someday" when I have time again. I can always find time in the evening when Vince and I watch TV. Why wait?

--Bible Study: we are studying the book of Ephesians, one of my favorite books. We pray for each other and share our life stories.

--Church on Sunday. Small is the key word with churches in Desert Aire, although I run into attendees everywhere I go. Attendance varies (we do our best). I consider myself a Christian first and a Lutheran at heart. I come from a long line of German and Norwegian Lutherans. One German ancestor (a great uncle) evangelized half the state of Missouri in the late 1800s.  

--Finally, a family gathering for Christmas dinner on Christmas day. There will be eleven of us this year. Prime rib, last I heard.

What are some of your 

favorite gatherings?

Celebrate the Small Things: To join, visit Lexa's Blog for the rules. We post every Friday about something we are grateful for that week. It can be about writing, family, school, general life or whatever. Originated by VikLit, co-hosts are: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge and Katie @ TheCyborgMom

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Happy Thanksgiving: Memories Flood my Heart

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope all of you are tucked in nice and cozy somewhere, enjoying a special time with family and friends today. Memories flood my heart and mind this time of year and I can't help but reflect back. In America, this is the best holiday ever.

My memories grow and change with each passing year. Here are some of my favorites:

Sharing a Thanksgiving meal with international students, those that Vince and I met at the university in our jobs. How I loved the surprise on their faces and the gratefulness they always expressed. Harue and Akino from Japan; Federico, Corine, Pablo and Jose Juan, from Uruguay; Jose Angel and Daniela from Mexico; and many, many more who wandered in to share our table. I'm afraid I do not remember all your names. 

A snowy Thanksgiving morning. Vince was on the road, driving to Spokane to pick up our son. He had flown in from Oregon, where he had taken his first job after graduating from college. He was so excited to be home again. I filled the house with praise-filled music and scrumptious scents that wafted from the oven as the turkey roasted, pies baked, and pots boiled on the stove. How I cherish that memory. 

There is my first Thanksgiving meal as a newlywed in Biloxi, Mississippi. Not bad, as I recall, but no matter. We were thankful, oh so thankful to be alive. Vince and I had survived Hurricane Camille in August. The storm had killed over a 100 in our area alone.

So many more memories. Too many to count, I'm afraid. There are those of my childhood, when relatives gathered from all over the Tacoma area. The women and girls crowded in Mom's tiny kitchen to make a meal for ten or more. How did we ever do it, Mom? Your meals were pure perfection. 

And still, the tradition continues. With family far and wide, we will spend it with Vince's sister and husband this year. My apple pie is already in the oven baking. Sweet potatoes are boiling in a pot on the stove for the candied sweet potatoes, the family likes. 

Blessings to all of you, and if you are alone this holiday, my heart goes out to you in friendship. Huge hug to you! This is one time I would hate to be alone. God bless you and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Veterans Day 2015: Honoring the Brave and Strong

Thinking of my family and friends, and others I'll never know, who have served in the U.S. military in the past and serve today, defending democracy and protecting the people of America, the country of my birth.

Thank you!! 

To my grandfather Paul (Army) who served during World War I
and World War II.

To my Uncle Mervin (Army), Uncle Jim (Navy), and father Robert (Navy) who served during World War II.

Special thanks to my Uncle Russ (Army), who was captured during World War II and spent the duration in a German prison camp.

To my Uncle Art (Army) who served during the Korean War.

To my husband Vince (Air Force) who served during the 
Vietnam War. 

To my friend's brother Alan (Army), who served during the Vietnam War and lost his life.
 
To niece Jammie and husband Kevin, and niece Jessica for your past and present service in the Air Force today. God bless you!

Thank you!!

 

Celebrate the Small Things: My First Coffee

Okay, so I didn't just have my first coffee, but I am very appreciative

of this brew that I started enjoying somewhere in my twenties. 

Memories are vague, but I do remember early encounters when I was quite young. Mom and her sister Evelyn spent long hours in the kitchen, or so it seemed, sipping one cup of coffee after another and catching up on the latest news. As I played with my cousin, Mom and Aunt Evelyn talked about everything it seemed, anywhere from what to fix for dinner to personal regrets.... Mom's all time favorite was the missed land opportunity that could have made the family a fortune. 

The earthy aroma of coffee was everywhere, rising in the steam from the pot as it brewed, in the air as it was poured, and on their breath as they talked. Mixed with Mom's flowery perfume in the scarf she liked to wear and Evelyn's floury hands (oh, could she ever bake a loaf of bread), it was a wonderful Norwegian potpourri. I say Norwegian because I only remember this scent in the homes of the Norwegians in my family. The one German home on my other side often had a cloved beef tongue simmering in the pot and fabulous okra chili. Brewed coffee, yes, but more dominated by the chili spices and cloves wafting from the pot. 

Fast forward to marriage in my early twenties. No coffee pot, but instant coffee thank you, because I was too busy to learn how to brew coffee properly. Disgusting stuff as I look back. Drip coffee

today, and I try to limit it to two cups. No sugar (ever) and a bit of cream. 

How about you? Do you have any first coffee memories?

Happy Weekend! 

  

Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)  Two wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Katie @ TheCyborgMom

Celebrate the Small the Things: Family and Progess

As some of you know, Vince and I are in a race to see who can finish first. I'm trying to get my book published. He's trying to paint

his plane. It would appear he is a good lap ahead. April was a set back for me with the a-z, and now with family (Mom) still visiting, I'm focused on spending time with her. (I've spent one whole day on my book in the last two weeks). But you know.....I have no regrets. I wrote somewhere that family trumps all, and this is one of those times. After spending time learning about my uncle in the Battle of the Bulge, Mom and I have been gardening and hitting the putting course.

Check out my new Shasta Daisy and Petunias!

Ha-ha :) Put-put golf for grownups on Desert Aire's putting course.

 

Vince applying his first large piece of vinyl wrap underneath the wing. The white vinyl on top is lying loose. It's next. Vinyl wrap is the latest way to paint vehicles and although the learning curve is high, it beats setting up a paint booth and learning how to operate a spray gun. Pretty clever if you ask me.



So celebrating my husband's progress and the priority of family, because when it comes down to what is most important, I'm thankful for family most.

Happy Weekend!

Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)  Two wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Katie @ TheCyborgMom

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Celebrate the Small Things: Mother's Words

 
Hi. Still enjoying my mother's visit, and it's hard to believe a week has flown by already. Last week Dixie @dcrelief suggested I interview her on some 'long life advice', since she recently celebrated her 90th birthday. 

Here are some words Mom wanted to share . . . 



"Eternal Youth"

There is one thing that is certain,
You are not going to stay young forever!
"Yes," that's a hard one to believe or want to believe.
Always make the best of each year, as it is the greatest!
Even if hardships happen . . .
surprising how one can sneak up on you. "Yes."
Always stay young in spirit, having great faith in God. 
Let age come gracefully. 


by Lillian Henderson (age 89)

Giving Mom a tour in our new golf cart

 "Lillian's Poem"

Where oh where are those years gone by?
Some behind and kept like new.
Memories great shall not die.
So much more one must claim.
Now they tell me I am 90, "Oh my."
The best there is we shall see.
Honest stories ahead: no lie.
Continue on and finish.
Then gracefully say to all, "Goodbye."

by  Lillian Henderson (age 90)

Mom reading a 'very' good book.

 Happy Weekend!

Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit) 


Two kind and wonderful co-hosts are helping: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge Katie @ TheCyborgMom

IWSG: Writer Fatigue

The Insecure Writers Support Group meets online every first Wednesday of the month. Founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh, IWSG was created to support and encourage all writers in every phase of their work, from writing to marketing. Click here to join, and for information, writing tips and more.

Co-hosts for the May 6 posting are Eva Solar, Melanie Schulz, Lisa-Buie Collard, and Stephen Tremp!

April was a good month for writing and meeting deadlines. The A-Z was motivating and instructive, and it was fun learning about my theme and meeting new bloggers. The flip side is I did not meet the goals for submitting my novel. I'm fighting writer fatigue at the moment, but since my mother is visiting for two weeks anyway, I'm taking it easy and helping her with her memoirs. We spent the afternoon talking about my uncle's experience in a German prison camp during WWII. She's 90 years old but has vivid recall of all he told her. Here's hoping the memory genes were passed on to me! 

During the A-Z, a friend shared some information I thought I would pass on to YA writers. Did you see this?
----
Top 20 YA Agents: 142 Sales in the Last 12 Months
// Darcy Pattinson Fiction Notes
 
What agents are selling young adult (YA) novels? 

  Be sure to click the link for more information.

Celebrate the Small Things: Taking a Breather

Celebrating the end of the A-Z and enjoying a breather. 

I'm getting ready for my mother's 90th birthday out of town this weekend. The family is planning a surprise potluck for her at my brother's home, one of her favorite ways to gather. Then I'm bringing her back with me for a couple of weeks. I have no idea what we will do, but I have a hunch we will end up in the garden pulling weeds, or down by the river collecting rocks, or sipping coffee on my patio. 

Maybe we will go bird watching. I have been told there are pelican down by the river. I haven't seen one yet, but I did see a bald eagle one day perched high in a tree. I'm still learning about all the bird life here. I have seen plenty of killdeer, geese, robins and quail already. Maybe I'll take Mom to Bingo at the senior center or Bible study at the church on Monday. 

And I'm dying to take her out in our new golf cart. She doesn't play golf (I barely do myself) but I know she would love a tour of our lush green course. Whatever we do, I know it will be relaxing and filled with plenty of conversation. I have learned much from this still 'young at heart' woman of 90 years!

Check out our new toy, and it's all electric. I know how to drive it, just wish I 

knew how to golf (one lesson wasn't enough). One nice thing is 

we can drive off the course anywhere in the community.

Have a nice weekend everyone!!

  

Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful for that week. It can be about writing or family or school or general life. This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)

Co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Katie @ TheCyborgMom

T is for Telephone Switching System: Inventions by Women A-Z

Erna Schneider Hoover (New Jersey, 1926-)

 We can thank Erna Schneider Hoover for adding some sanity to the complicated telephone switching system in the 1960s with her patent for a computerized telephone switching system in 1971. Telephone call centers, if flooded with too many calls at once, could freeze up. Frustrated customers had to endure the operator's lament, "I'm sorry sir/mam, the circuits are busy." I know....I was a telephone operator in 1969. When a switch froze up or was down, the customer wasn't happy. 

A typical switchboard in 1960s. It looks identical to the one I worked at for Pacific Northwest Bell in Tacoma, WA. Note the plaid skirt on the left. Very popular then!

A typical electronic Telephone Switching System in 1960s. When the switch went down (in the basement below us), we knew the guys were hard at work! (Think of a switch as the device that connects one telephone line with another telephone line; it enables conversation)

Erna Schneider Hoover is considered a pioneer in computer technology. Her patent was one of the first software patents issued. It is interesting her first degrees were in medieval philosophy and history (Wellesley College), and she had a Ph.d (Yale) in philosophy and mathematics. She later said after being hired by Bell Laboratories, that her training was equivalent to earning a master's in computer science. Bell Labs was eager to replace their older electronic relay circuitry, and computer technology appeared to be the solution. 

Erna got right to work, but in the process found herself flat on her back in the hospital . . . about to give birth to one of her three daughters! With pad in hand she persevered and designed a new switching system for Bell Labs. While on maternity leave, the patent papers were hand delivered for her to sign. She had solved the company's problem, and the principles of her design are still in use today. She was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2008.




Source:
http://meaganpollock.com/women-in-stem-erna-schneider-hoover/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erna_Schneider_Hoover
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blhoover.htm
https://randia.wordpress.com/culture-site-intro/culture-intro/
http://www.telephonetribute.com/switches.html

Copyright 2015 © Sharon Marie Himsl