Professor Kara W. Swanson Awarded SHOT’s Martha Trescott Prize

Professor Kara W. Swanson Awarded SHOT’s Martha Trescott Prize

11.04.22 — Professor Kara W. Swanson, a renowned expert on intellectual property and the history of science, has been named the winner of the 2022 Martha Trescott Prize by the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT) in recognition of her article “Inventing the Woman Voter: Suffrage, Ability, and Patents,” published in the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (JGAPE).

“I am thrilled that this article, a contribution to a special issue of JGAPE on ‘The Nineteenth Amendment at 100,’ has been recognized as a significant contribution to the history of women and technology,” said Swanson. “The history it explores, how white woman suffragists used patents as political tools as they fought for the vote, is drawn from my book-in-progress, Inventing Citizens. The book examines the ways in which Americans have considered eligibility for full legal personhood through debates about who possessed inventiveness, from conversations at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to present-day patent office initiatives.”

The annual Martha Trescott Prize recognizes the best published essay in one of two areas. In even-numbered years, the prize is awarded to an outstanding published historical essay in the area of women in technology. In odd-numbered years, the prize is awarded to an outstanding published essay in the area of social responsibility of engineers in history.

Swanson will be presented with her award at the SHOT annual meeting in New Orleans on Saturday, November 12.

About Northeastern University School of Law

The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,000 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.

For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu