TIME LINE OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AWARDS, AND RECOGNITIONS

FOR

YVONNE Y. CLARK, P.E.

Professor Yvonne Y. Clark, P.E. has led an extraordinary life, one that includes a number of significant highlights that are impressive and noteworthy.  It is evident that she has been a pioneer in the field of Mechanical Engineering since she first landed within the industry.  She has not only served as a role model for the upcoming generation, but she has also blazed a trail by swinging open doors that will continue to provide new opportunities for those females and minorities that follow her.  Below is a list of the most significant of these accomplishments.  But, be reminded that this is by no means a comprehensive listing.  A complete timeline has been compiled and is available.

• 1947 – Accepted at the University of Louisville, but was not allowed to attend due to her race. Instead, the State of Kentucky paid her tuition to attend Howard University.          
• 1951 – Graduated from Howard University as the First woman to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 1952 (March) – First African-American Woman hired at Frankford Arsenal Gage Lab, a U.S. Government facility in Philadelphia.
• 1952 (Oct.) – First African-American Woman hired at R.C.A. – Camden, J.
• 1952 – Became the First African-American member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
• 1956 – The First woman engineer ever hired as an Instructor at Tennessee State University (TSU) in the Mechanical Engineering Department.
• 1963 - Worked as an Aerospace Engineer (Flight-General) at NASA Marshall Space Center, Huntsville, Alabama investigating the Saturn 5 Rocket Booster engines regarding hot spots.
• 1964 – Written about in ‘Ebony Magazine’, “Tennessee State’s Lady Engineer” (July 1964).
• 1965 – First woman appointed as Department Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at TSU, held position from 1965 – 1970; served a second term as Department Head in 1977 for 11 years.
• 1966 – Worked at the NASA Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, TX on the moon rock samples container for transporting moon rocks to Earth.
• 1971 – First woman to be hired as an engineer at the Ford Motor Company - Glass Plant in Nashville,
• 1972 (June) – First African-American Woman to receive the Masters Degree in Engineering Management at Vanderbilt University.
• 1972 (Oct.) – Presented “The Long Rifle Award” by the Middle Tennessee Council of the Boy Scouts of America for Outstanding Service to Boyhood.
• 1984 – Principal Investigator of Funded Research from 8/1984 to 10/2004 from the Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN. The titles were “Energy Usage – Monitoring of Residential and Commercial Structures” and “Experimental Evaluation of the Performance of Alternative Refrigerants in Heat Pump Cycles” respectively.
• 1990 – Received award given by the TSU student Chapter of ASME as the “Mechanism of the Year” for her unyielding support to her students.
• 1994 – The Y. Y. Clark Annual Scholarship was established at TSU for a third year female Mechanical Engineering student.
• 1995 – Honored in “Project Cherish” by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., saluting “African-American Women Making a Difference”.
• 1996 – Selected as one of the Top 50 Minority Women saluted by the 68^th National Technical Association of Scientists and Engineers.  Also, featured in an article in NTA Summer issue, entitled “Top Minority Women” – Vol. 70, No. 2, pg. 10.
• 1996 – Featured in the book, “No Universal Constants: Journeys of Women in         Science and Engineering” ISBN 1-56639-527-5 published 1997.
• 1997 – Awarded the National 1997 “Women of Color Technology Award” for Educational Leadership, by S. Black Engineers.
• 1997 – Presented the Adult Black Achievers Award by the Northwest Family YMCA for being a role model and mentor to the youth of today.
• 1997 – Article written in the “People” section of ‘Jet Magazine’, on receiving the “Women of Color Technology Award.” (December 1, 1997 issue, pg. 20).
• 1998 – Received the “Distinguished Engineering Educator Award” from the Society of Women Engineers at their 40^th year convention in Houston, TX, where previously in 1957 she was not permitted to stay in the convention hotel due to her race.
• 2001 – Presented the “Distinguished Service Award” by the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE) for her outstanding leadership to her profession and contributions to the community.
• 2006 (April) – Received the “President’s Distinguished University Award” from TSU for 50 years of loyalty, dedication, and determination during her career. 
• 2008 (May) – Presented “Educator of the Year” Award by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Nashville Alumnae Chapter.

Her Civic interests include memberships in the Music City Chamber of Commerce, Hendersonville Area Chapter of The Links, Inc., and the Nashville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  She also volunteers at the Eighteenth Avenue Family Enrichment (Community) Center where she is a Board Member and Treasurer, as well as, Chair of the Building and Grounds, and Finance committees.

She received special recognition from the Louise Holiday and Virginia Hadley Women’s Fellowship for Outstanding Service to Howard Congregational-UCC as Consultant Engineer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and Church Treasurer.

She is a Fellow in SWE and a Life Member of SWE and ASME.  At TSU, she chartered Student Chapters for the following Professional Organizations:  ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), SWE (Society of Women Engineers), ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers), and Pi Tau Sigma - National Mechanical Honorary Society- Alpha Delta Chapter.  She is a TSU link of the “Order of the Engineer”.

Her hobbies include fishing, needle work, radio controlled model airplane and HO scale train building, swimming, regular exercising, and being a Grand Mom. 

To celebrate the life of Professor Y.Y. Clark support the cause she supported by making a gift to the Tennessee State University College of Engineering Alumni Scholarship Endowment today!!