Tina Lewis
Tina (Lizzi) Lewis was one of the first two women to receive degrees from the University of Connecticut’s School of Engineering. This year marks the 60th anniversary of her graduation. Ms. Lewis came to UConn after graduating second in her class from Weaver High School in Hartford in 1951. Despite a high school teacher’s warning that engineering wasn’t the right field for a young woman, Ms. Lewis was determined to get a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, which she did in 1955. After graduation, she went to work for United Aircraft in Podunk, NY for two years, where she designed test equipment, consulted with the technicians and made sure that the equipment was being built correctly. She then went to work at Cardinal Control Co., an electrical and electromechanical products manufacturing company. There, she produced drawings and helped design relays and Electro-Mechanical safety equipment. She also supervised the office, checked the production line and ordered all the parts with delivery times. After her husband, Blaine Lewis, bought half ownership of the company in 1957, the company was moved to Kensington, CT and Ms. Lewis designed its new building. She now lives in Glastonbury, CT.