Elizabeth M. Kennedy

Elizabeth M. Kennedy (21 September 1873 - 18 August 1957) was the president of the Women's Engineering Society (WES) from 1932 to 1934. She worked for the London-based machinery manufacturer Messrs J B Stone & Co, initially as a shorthand typist, becoming company Secretary before being appointed to joint managing director in 1915. Shortly afterwards, she was promoted to managing director and remained in this position until her retirement in 1934. Despite her commercial achievements as a female engineer and business woman post-World War I, including opportunities to travel to America, Kennedy remained adamant that she did not label herself as a feminist, stating in her WES retiring president's address:

"I am not a feminist"..."I have never been one, and although I may offend some of my women friends by saying so, I do not think it was the fact that they chained themselves to railings which obtained the vote for women. They showed their worth during the war. It is the ability in either men or women which should give them the opportunity to do what they want"

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