Nora Stanton Blatch Barney

She was the granddaughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

• Birth Name — Nora Stanton Blatch • Born — 30 September 1883 • Birthplace — Basingstoke, Hampshire, England • Died — 18 January 1971 • Place of death — Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S. • Children — 2 • Mother — Harriot Eaton Stanton • Relatives — Elizabeth Cady Stanton (grandmother) Henry Brewster Stanton (grandfather) • Occupation — * Civil engineer suffragist

She was born Nora Stanton Blatch in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, in 1883 to William Blatch and Harriot Eaton Stanton, daughter of Elizabeth Cady Stanton. She studied Latin and mathematics at the Horace Mann School in New York, beginning in 1897, returning to England in the summers. The family moved to the United States in 1902. Nora attended Cornell University, graduating in 1905 with a degree in civil engineering. She was Cornell University's first female engineering graduate. In the same year, she was the first woman admitted (accepted as a junior member) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). She also began work for the New York City Board of Water Supply and for the American Bridge Company from 1905 to 1906. Following the examples set by her mother and grandmother, Nora also became active in the growing women's suffrage movement. She was the first female member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, where she was allowed to be a junior member only and denied advancement to associate member in 1916 solely because of her gender. At the time, women were only admitted as junior members. In 1916, she sued the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for refusing to admit her as a full member, even though she met all requirements. Blatch lost, and no woman became a full ASCE member for a decade. In 2015, she was posthumously advanced to ASCE Fellow status.

• Illustration — Barney when she was younger In 1908, she married the inventor Lee de Forest, and helped to manage some of the companies he had founded to promote his invention and the new technology of wireless (radio). The couple spent their honeymoon in Europe marketing radio equipment developed by de Forest. However, the couple separated only a year later, due largely to de Forest's insistence that Nora quit her profession and become a conventional housewife. Shortly afterward, in June 1909, Nora gave birth to their daughter, Harriet. In 1909, she began working as an engineer for the Radley Steel Construction Company. She divorced de Forest in 1912. After her divorce, she continued her engineering career, working for the New York State Public Service Commission.

In 1919, Nora married Morgan Barney, a marine architect. Their daughter, Rhoda Barney Jenkins, born 12 July 1920, in New York, was an architect and social activist. Rhoda died on 25 August 2007, in Greenwich. Nora continued to work for equal rights for women and world peace, and in 1944 authored World Peace Through a People's Parliament. Nora worked as a real-estate developer and political activist until her death in Greenwich, Connecticut on 18 January 1971. She is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery and Conservancy, Bronx NY with Memorial ID 92785151.

After graduating, Barney worked for the American Bridge Company as a drafter. She later took a position with the New York Public Service Commission and was instrumental in planning and designing bridges, subway stations, and other infrastructure projects. However, she was frequently denied full professional status within these organizations due to her gender. In 1906, she applied for membership in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and was accepted as a junior member. However, when she applied for associate membership, the ASCE rejected her on the grounds of her gender. This setback did not deter her from continuing her work in engineering and activism. Barney later became an advocate for the integration of women into STEM fields, using her influence to encourage other women to pursue careers in science and engineering. She also studied architecture and engaged in real estate development, where she focused on designing practical and affordable housing.

Following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, Barney was deeply involved in the women’s suffrage movement. She played a key role in the campaign for women’s voting rights and worked closely with the National Woman’s Party. She was an outspoken critic of gender-based employment discrimination and worked toward securing equal opportunities for women in technical professions. During her career, she wrote and spoke extensively on the intersection of feminism and labor rights, emphasizing the importance of women's economic independence. She actively participated in the Equal Rights Amendment movement and supported policies aimed at closing the gender wage gap.

Nora Stanton Blatch Barney was recorded at birth as Nora Stanton Blatch. The authorities additionally record the headings Nora Stanton Blatch, Nora Stanton Barney, Nora Stanton and Nora Blatch Barney. She was the child of Harriot Eaton Stanton Blatch. She married Lee de Forest and Morgan Barney. Other recorded relations include Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Henry Brewster Stanton.