Mathematical Handbook For Scientists And Engineers
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Theresa Marie Korn (née McLaughlin, November 5, 1926 – April 9, 2020) was an American engineer, radio enthusiast, and airplane pilot. The first woman to earn an engineering degree from what is now
Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...
, she was the author of multiple books on engineering and mathematics. A fictionalized version of Korn is one of the characters in the novel ''Kay Everett Calls CQ'' by Amelia Lobsenz (Vanguard Press, 1951), describing a girls' summer road trip adventure in the 1940s with ham radio and flying components.


Life

Theresa McLaughlin was born in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, on November 5, 1926, the daughter of a
civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...
. When she was one year old, a storm damaged her family home, breaking her nose, and the family moved to
Greensburg, Pennsylvania Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 14,976 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located southeast of Pittsburgh, Greensburg is a part of the Greater Pittsbu ...
, where she grew up. As a high school student, she became a
ham radio operator An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators ...
in 1941, and flew Atlantic reconnaissance patrols as an airplane pilot for the
Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...
, becoming the youngest pilot and radio operator in the country. She became a member of the
Ninety-Nines The Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots, also known as The 99s, is an international organization that provides networking, mentoring, and flight scholarship opportunities to recreational and professional female pilots. Foun ...
society of female pilots, and graduated as the
valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the class rank, highest-performing student of a graduation, graduating class of an academic institution in the United States. The valedictorian is generally determined by an academic institution's grade poin ...
of Greensburg High School in 1943, winning the Bausch and Lomb Science Award and a Carnegie Scholarship to the
Carnegie Institute of Technology Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...
, which later became
Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...
. Since its founding in 1903, the Carnegie Institute had admitted women as students, but only through its Margaret Morrison Carnegie College for women, not through its engineering school, and her scholarship was to this college, through which McLaughlin could take engineering classes but would be barred from earning an engineering degree. By refusing her scholarship and instead accepting money from her pilot friends to pay for her tuition, McLaughlin was able to gain admission to the engineering school instead of to the women's college, becoming the first female student at the school. While studying, she earned a radio license and began working for WHGB, a local radio station, but quit over being paid less than the station's male employees, and took another job working on the electrical systems of
arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...
s. Despite opposition to teaching her from some male faculty members, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1947, and was nominated for membership in
Eta Kappa Nu Eta Kappa Nu () or IEEE-HKN is the international honor society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Joining HKN is by invitation only. Membership is a lifelong designation for individuals who have distinguished them ...
, the international honor society of the
IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines. The IEEE ...
. The society refused her nomination because she was a woman, instead giving her a certificate as the best student in her class. She became a junior engineer for
Curtiss-Wright The Curtiss-Wright Corporation is an American manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, with factories and operations in and outside the United States. Created in 1929 from the consolidation (business), consoli ...
, working in the restricted research section on missile development. In 1948 she married Granino Arthur Korn, a German-born physicist, the son of physicist and inventor
Arthur Korn Arthur Korn (20 May 1870 – 21 December/22 December 1945) was a German physicist, mathematician and inventor. He was involved in the development of the fax machine, specifically the transmission of photographs or telephotography, known as the ...
. Granino was head of analysis at Curtiss-Wright, and because of the anti-
nepotism Nepotism is the act of granting an In-group favoritism, advantage, privilege, or position to Kinship, relatives in an occupation or field. These fields can include business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, religion or health care. In ...
rules then in place at Curtiss-Wright, this marriage caused her to lose her position there. A few years later, they both moved to
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
and she returned to work, on airplane engineering. The Korns co-founded an engineering consulting company in 1952, and Theresa Korn earned a master's degree in 1954 from the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
. In 1957, her husband became a professor of computer and electrical engineering at the
University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...
, while Theresa Korn managed the consulting business and became active in Tucson society. After Granino Korn retired in 1983, the Korns moved to
Wenatchee, Washington Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and most populous city of Chelan County, Washington, Chelan County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and has increased to 35,508 as of 2020. ...
. Granino died on December 17, 2013, and Theresa Korn died from
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
on April 9, 2020, in Wenatchee during the
COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state) The first confirmed case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States was announced by the state of Washington on January 21, 2020. Washington made the first announcement of a death from the disease in the United States on February 29 ...
.


Books

Korn was the author of: * ''Trailblazer to Television: The story of Arthur Korn'' (with Elizabeth Korn,
Charles Scribner's Sons Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner's or Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City that has published several notable American authors, including Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Marjori ...
, 1950) * ''Electronic Analog Computers (D-C Analog Computers)'' (with Granino Korn,
McGraw-Hill McGraw Hill is an American education science company that provides educational content, software, and services for students and educators across various levels—from K-12 to higher education and professional settings. They produce textbooks, ...
, 1952; 2nd ed., 1956; translated into German as , 1962) * ''Mathematical Handbook for Scientists and Engineers: Definitions, Theorems, and Formulas for Reference and Review'' (with Granino Korn, McGraw-Hill, 1961; 2nd ed., 1968;
Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
, 2000; translated into Russian as , 1968, 1970, 1973, 1977, and 1984, and into Polish as , 1983) * ''Electronic Analog and Hybrid Computers'' (with Granino Korn, McGraw-Hill, 1964; translated into Russian as , 1967) * ''Manual of Mathematics'' (abridged from ''Mathematical Handbook for Scientists and Engineers'', with Granino Korn, McGraw-Hill, 1967)


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Korn, Theresa M. 1926 births 2020 deaths Writers from St. Louis American women aviators Amateur radio people Amateur radio women American engineers American women engineers Carnegie Mellon University alumni University of California, Los Angeles alumni Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state)