.
By Kristin Leaman
Collection Overview
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Roberta Banaszak Gleiter papers (7 cubic feet; 1931-2011) contains photographs from her personal and professional life, letters of appreciation and commendation, speeches, transcripts, items documenting SWE and GIFTE, and her post-Purdue education and life, certifications, awards, items documenting her life at Purdue, such as her Purdue ID, photographs, Chi Omega paraphernalia and her and her husband's senior cords.
Biographical Note
Roberta Gleiter received her BS in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University in 1960, a time when women engineers were very few and far in between. As a result, Gleiter faced discrimination in her field. She married a fellow Purdue alumnus, John Gleiter, and raised her three children from 1960 to 1980. In 1980, she re-entered the workforce and was offered a job at Aerospace Corporation. She then earned her MS in Systems Management/Technical Systems from the University of Southern California. Gleiter has published several articles and given many presentations nationwide and worldwide. She is a proud advocate for engineering and received the 2008 Outstanding Chemical Engineering Award from Purdue University.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Family and Education, 1944-1986],
[
Series 2: Biographical Information and Oral History, circa 1980s -2009],
[
Series 3: Professional Activities, 1946-2011],
[
Series 4: Speeches and Presentations, 1985-2011],
[
Series 5: Papers authored by Roberta Gleiter, 1986-2005],
[
Series 6: Articles mentioning Roberta Gleiter, 1983-2009],
[
Series 7: Certificates and Awards, 1981-2009],
[
Series 8: Letters of Appreciation and Commendations, 1974-2004],
[
Series 9: Photographs, 1974-2004],
[
Series 10: Artifacts, 1999],
[
Series 11: Artifacts, 1966-1999],
[
Series 12: Oversize Materials, 1939-2010],
[All]
- Series 1: Family and Education, 1944-1986
- Series 1 contains information compiled by Roberta Gleiter about her family and education, including her piano book, red cross buttons, St. Bronislava School graduation ribbon, Latin Honor Society diploma, membership cards and identification, clippings, autobiography, Chi Omega booklet, receipts, report cards and transcripts, short course certifications, admission offer, transcripts, USC brochures, and photocopy of Gleiter’s master’s degree.
- Series 2: Biographical Information and Oral History, circa 1980s -2009
- Series 2 contains several biographies and curriculum vitas over the course of Gleiter’s professional life, as well as an oral history of Gleiter by Aerospace Storytelling series.
- Series 3: Professional Activities, 1946-2011
- Series 3 contains clippings, photos, guidebooks, handbooks, and conference information from Gleiter’s professional activities, including Chi Omega, Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Purdue University, Global Institute for Technology& Engineering (GIFTE).
- Series 4: Speeches and Presentations, 1985-2011
- Series 4 contains speeches and presentations delivered by Gleiter for a range of professional activities, including Aerospace Corporation, Chi Omega, Global Institute for Technology & Engineering (GIFTE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Purdue University, and a variety of conferences.
- Series 5: Papers authored by Roberta Gleiter, 1986-2005
- Series 5 contains Gleiter’s master’s thesis, papers for conferences, and articles for SWE Magazine, Orbiter, and the Purdue Alumnus.
- Series 6: Articles mentioning Roberta Gleiter, 1983-2009
- Series 6 contains articles from Orbiter, SWE Magazine, and Purdue Alumnus.
- Series 7: Certificates and Awards, 1981-2009
- Series 7 contains Gleiter’s certificates and awards that she has received from the Aerospace Corporation acknowledging her accomplishments in courses as well as personal and group achievements. Other awards and certificates are from Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Purdue University, Institute for the Advancement of Engineering Inc., Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration, and Career Planning Center Conference.
- Series 8: Letters of Appreciation and Commendations, 1974-2004
- Series 8 contains letters of appreciation and commendations to Gleiter from Aerospace Corporation, Department of the Air Force, Kennedy Space Center, University of California – San Diego, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Purdue University, Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Northwestern University, and Global Institute for Technology and Engineering (GIFTE).
- Series 9: Photographs, 1974-2004
- Series 9 contains photographs that document Gleiter’s personal and professional life, including several photographs of Gleiter when she was a child through her late teens. There are several photographs documenting her and her husband’s lives at Purdue University, as well as many photographs of Gleiter’s family and professional activities: Chi Omega, Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Global Institute for Technology and Engineering (GIFTE), Aerospace Corporation, University of Southern California, and Purdue University.
- Series 10: Artifacts, 1999
- Series 10 contains three scrapbooks documenting Gleiter’s professional activities: Japan trip, 1999; Society of Women Engineers Board of Director’s Roast of Roberta Gleiter as National President, 1999; Society of Women Engineers Board of Director’s Roast of Roberta Gleiter as National President, 1999.
- Series 11: Artifacts, 1966-1999
- Series 11 contains artifacts documenting Gleiter’s personal and professional activities, including buttons, a ring mould, ribbons, Judo materials, name tags, ball cap, Society of Women Engineers (SWE) items, Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) materials, Global Institute for Technology and Engineering (GIFTE) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) pins designed by Gleiter, and an embroidered Japanese handkerchief.
- Series 12: Oversize Materials, 1939-2010
- Series 12 consists of oversize materials from all of the series that documents Gleiter’s life, including her and her husband’s Purdue senior cords from 1960 and items pertaining to Gleiter’s involvement with Chi Omega. The series also contains photos spanning from Gleiter’s grammar school days to her college days at Purdue, as well as awards and buttons from Aerospace Corporation, Air Force, Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS), and Gleiter’s tennis playing days.
