Cécile Butticaz (2 July 1884, in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

– 1 June 1966, in Geneva), also known as Cécile Biéler or Cécile Biéler-Butticaz, was a Swiss

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

. She is considered the first female electrical engineer in Europe, because she earned her engineering diploma in 1907.

Early life

Butticaz was born in 1884, in Geneva, the daughter of Constant Butticaz and Eugénie Mercanton Butticaz. Her father was a factory director. Butticaz studied at the

University of Geneva The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin as a theological seminary. It remained focused on theology until the 17th centu ...

and then at EPFL a prestigious Swiss engineering university, from which she was also first female graduate. She earned a diploma in electrical engineering in 1907, the first woman to do so in Europe. She earned a doctorate in physics from the University of Geneva, in 1929, after conducting original research on

invar Invar, also known generically as FeNi36 (64FeNi in the US), is a nickel–iron alloy notable for its uniquely low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE or α). The name ''Invar'' comes from the word ''invariable'', referring to its relative lac ...

, a nickel-iron alloy with industrial applications.

Career

Butticaz worked as an engineer in Geneva after she gained her diploma. She also taught mathematics in Geneva and Lausanne. She wrote and published several books of poetry in French. She also wrote on social matters, in ''Foyer moderne'' (1935). Butticaz is sometimes described as the first woman engineer in Europe, but there are several women with claims to that "first". Among earlier contenders,

Rita de Morais Sarmento Rita de Morais Sarmento (11 February 1872 – 28 March 1931) was a Portuguese civil engineer, the first woman to earn a degree in the subject in Portugal and probably the first woman to graduate as a chartered engineer in Europe. Early life Ri ...

earned an engineering degree in Portugal in 1896, and

Alice Perry Alice Jacqueline Perry (24 October 1885 – 21 April 1969) was one of the first women in Europe to graduate with a degree in engineering. Early life and education Born in Wellpark, Galway in 1885, Alice was one of five daughters and a son of M ...

earned her engineering degree in Ireland in 1905. 100elles 20190818 Rue Cécile BIÉLER-BUTTICAZ - Rue des Etuves

Personal life and legacy

Butticaz was a

Soroptimist Soroptimist International (SI) is a global volunteer service organization for women with nearly 72,000 members in 121 countries worldwide. According to Soroptimist.org, their mission statement says that, "Soroptimist is a global volunteer organiza ...

, active in founding the Lausanne chapter of the club. She used the names Cécile Biéler or Cécile Biéler-Butticaz after her marriage to Alfred Édouard François Biéler. They had three sons, born in the 1910s. She died in 1966, in Geneva, aged 81 years. Her grave is in

Cully Cully may refer to: Places * Cully, Calvados, a former commune in the Allier department, France *Cully, Switzerland, a municipality in the canton of Vaud * Cully, Portland, Oregon, United States, a neighborhood in northeast Portland People Given ...

.
In 2019, due to the efforts of the 100Elles project, a street in Geneva was proposed for a rename as "Rue Cécile-Biéler-Butticaz", after the city's notable native engineer.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Butticaz, Cecile 1884 births 1966 deaths 20th-century Swiss engineers Engineers from Geneva Women engineers