Nancy Streuter '68:
Tradition Shattered!
In the Fall of 1961, the first class of undergraduate women were admitted to Santa Clara University. Their arrival on campus shattered the 110-year tradition of Santa Clara being an all-male school.
The first woman to graduate with a degree in engineering was Nancy Streuter (now Nancy Streuter Austin). She received her bachelor's in civil engineering in 1968. After graduation, she went on to work as a civil engineer with Bechtel Corporation and Delano & Keith, as well as being active in community service.
While Austin was a trailblazer for women in engineering, she says she has always been grateful for the support of classmates and professors during her time at Santa Clara. "Santa Clara not only prepared us for the technical world, it also instilled a well-rounded education that has served well throughout life."
Read more about the women engineers of Santa Clara here.
