Endurance was her middle name

Eva Hirdler Greene earned a general science degree – because the faculty refused to award her a mining engineering degree.
Eva Hirdler Greene earned a general science degree – because the faculty refused to award her a mining engineering degree.

The first woman to earn a degree from S&T, Eva Endurance Hirdler Greene, class of 1911, received the general science degree – even though she had completed the coursework to be a mining engineer. Her peers recognized her accomplishment, granting her status as a Knight of St. Patrick, but the faculty refused. She went on to a distinguished career in mining reconnaissance and oil production before shifting her focus to industrial management. In 1972, the faculty voted to grant her the mining degree she so richly deserved. Her endurance paid off.

Share This Story

Spark a Memory?

Share your story! Fill out the form below to share your fondest memory or anecdote of S&T. If you'd prefer not typing, you can also share by phone at 833-646-3715 (833-Miner150).

Genevieve (DuBois) and Greg Sutton

Genevieve (DuBois) and Greg Sutton

Active in the mining industry and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Genevieve (DuBois) and Greg Sutton first met…

James Kreilich and Mary Jane Naeger

James Kreilich and Mary Jane Naeger

James Kreilich and Mary Jane Naeger went to school together at Valle High School in 1960, but it wasn’t until…

Keith and Bobbie (Smith) Wedge

Keith and Bobbie (Smith) Wedge

Keith Wedge met his future wife, Bobbie (Smith), in November 1967 while he was helping establish a chapter of Pi…

Building a legacy of mechanical engineering

Building a legacy of mechanical engineering

A registered professional engineer, John Toomey, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering in 1949 and 1951, founded…

The ‘steam locomotive’ of printers

The ‘steam locomotive’ of printers

When Philip Chen joined Xerox Corp. in 1967, only big companies could afford printers and scanners. Now retired and with…

Titanoboa – reptile king of the prehistoric rainforest

Titanoboa – reptile king of the prehistoric rainforest

Sixty million years ago in the steamy prehistoric forests of what is now Colombia, there slithered a 50-foot, 2,500-pound reptile….