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News & Updates
Power of one
Bradley University is an institution that celebrates the power of one. One person. One dream. Bradley’s founder, Lydia Moss Bradley, overcame difficult obstacles to realize her dream of a polytechnic institute. She put all her efforts into creating a distinguished school. Lydia Moss Bradley demonstrated the power of one.
When Dr. Rita Newton, professor of industrial engineering, emeritus, came to Bradley in 1969, she also proved the power of one. She was the first female professor of engineering and for years the only woman in that college. Although she retired in 2000, her impact on students continues. She established an endowed scholarship for women interested in engineering and made a gift of more than $1 million in support of the College of Engineering and Technology.
When Dr. Newton arrived on Bradley’s campus, only a handful of women were enrolled in Bradley’s engineering program. Through her mentorship and leadership, that number significantly increased. By the 1980s, almost 100 women were studying engineering. The correlation between this admittance spike and Newton’s work ethic is clear.
Her impressive background made her perfect for the job. A native of Buffalo, New York, Dr. Newton worked for Bell Aerospace. Before coming to Bradley, she was on the team that researched the path simulation that a manned lunar rover should take while exploring the moon’s surface.
When she decided to pursue teaching, she found countless institutions looking for female industrial engineering professors. Despite the pull from other universities, Dr. Newton chose to call Bradley home.
Dr. Newton encouraged young female engineers to follow their dreams. She was a mentor and motivator for women in a field dominated by men. In 1973, she received the Putnam Award honoring professors for excellence in teaching.
Dr. Newton has kept in contact with many of her previous Bradley students. She has followed them on their life journeys and watched her female graduates repeatedly shatter glass ceilings. One of her students, Diane Parke-Potter, says this: “When you’re the only woman in the class, you have to have great mentors and role models to succeed. Rita’s role was critical to me and to so many other young women.” Dr. Newton helped convince Diane’s father to let her study engineering at Bradley. Today, Diane has had 31 successful years at Eastman Kodak and is now the director of commercialization and packaging.
The Rita A. Newton Endowed Scholarship for Women in Engineering has allowed countless female engineering students an opportunity to attend Bradley University. Her legacy continues through both the students she has taught and those she has financially assisted.