Houston, Texas (April 13, 1929 – January 27, 2019) 89 yrs

Yvonne Y. Clark was a pioneer for African American and women engineers. She was the first woman to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering at Howard University, the first woman to earn a master’s degree in engineering management from Vanderbilt University, and the first woman to serve as a faculty member in the College of Engineering and Technology at Tennessee State University, afterward becoming a professor emeritus. Heat transfer sounds dull—until you consider rocket engines. Clark specialized in keeping systems stable under extreme temperatures, including Saturn V components. As one of the earliest Black women in mechanical engineering, she lit minds and machines. Affectionately called “TSU’s First Lady of Engineering”, Clark inspired generations of women and African Americans in engineering.