Throughout American history, women with diverse backgrounds and interests created inventions that changed lives every day. But women haven’t always had equal opportunities to be inventors or received as much recognition. The S&T Archives and the SHSMO-Rolla Research Center present “Picturing Women Inventors,” a Smithsonian and the United States Patent and Trademark Office poster exhibition that explores the inventions of 19 highly accomplished American women. Astronauts, computer pioneers, and businesswomen join athletes, engineers, and even teenagers in this remarkable group of inventors. The posters will be on view at the Curtis Laws Wilson Library October 1 to 31, 2021.

“Picturing Women Inventors” showcases the breakthroughs, motivations, and challenges women encountered while pursuing their goals as inventors. The poster exhibition highlights stories of inventors like Marilyn Hamilton, who after a hang-gliding accident in 1978 left her paralyzed, invented a lightweight wheelchair that was easy to maneuver.

The poster exhibit is complemented by an exhibit devoted to women innovators from the MSM/UMR/S&T campus, and the local area. There will also be a hybrid in-person/Zoom lecture series, to be announced later.