Women in business, industry recognized in Saxonburg
SAXONBURG — Elected officials joined the community Saturday, Oct. 12, in a celebration of women in business and industry that featured a portrayal of Emily Roebling, as well as the founder of a local engineering and manufacturing company.
A horse-drawn carriage brought Emily, who was played by Molly Nowakowski of Saxonburg, down Main Street from the Saxonburg Memorial Church to the patio of the South Butler Community Library, where she talked about Emily’s role in construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Scott Docherty, owner of CID Associates, of Sarver, and son of company founder Marlene Docherty, discussed his mother and the importance of women in business.
All three county commissioners, state Sen. Scott Hutchinson, R-21st; and U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, spoke and took part in the program.
The program featured the presentation of photographs and bronze plaques of the Roebling family, a print of the Brooklyn Bridge and a bronze plaque of Marlene Docherty that will be displayed in the library.
Nowakowski presented a photograph of Emily. Saxonburg borough manager Steve May and Brooke Wamsley, vice president of the Friends of the Saxonburg Museum, presented a photograph of Emily’s husband, Washington Roebling, and explained the projects to relocate the Brooklyn Bridge replica and restore the wire rope workshop.
Kathy Allen, Clinton Township supervisor and library founder, presented a photograph of John Roebling and talked about the creation of the library in 1977.
Commissioners Leslie Osche, Kim Geyer, and Kevin Boozel presented three bronze plaques.
Hutchinson presented the bronze plaque honoring Marlene Docherty, and Kelly presented the print of the Brooklyn Bridge, which once known as the Great East End Bridge.
“The Roeblings solved (New York’s) problem. They built a bridge,” Kelly said after the program. He said John Roebling was probably ridiculed, told he would fail and that his idea to use a rope made of wire to support a suspension bridge in Lower Manhattan was a waste of money.
“America faces great challenges,” Kelly said.
John Roebling, a Prussian-born engineer, died in 1869 following an accident while he was doing survey work for the bridge. His son and right-hand man, Washington Roebling, took over the project, but became incapacitated from decompression sickness three years later. Emily, who studied math and science and had a law certificate from New York University, then took over and completed construction of the bridge.
The photos, plaques and print were presented to Michelle Lesniak, library director.
“The program is for recognizing historic women and bringing Emily to the forefront, and also inspiring young women to look to history for role models to use a guiding light, and that there are jobs for women in manufacturing and engineering and in the community,” Lesniak said.
On April 1, the library will host a program about career and STEM training featuring Karin Lund, author of “Building Your Future in Steel,” for female students in grades eight through 12, Lesniak said.
