Massachusetts first female licenced master electrician grew up on West Union St in the 1950’s.
The story began when she was 16 when Deanna was hired by Clyde Meserve to help out around the shop. Deanna soon found that she had a talent for all things electric and built a transformer for the high school science fair.
While taking classes at Bridgewater State for teaching, she continued her part-time job as an electrician’s assistant with Meserve until someone commented that it wasn’t “dignified” work for a lady. So she looked into what it would take to become a licenced electrician.
Taking a break from her studies at Bridgewater, Deanna completed her 6,000 hours of apprenticeship, an ICS course in electricity and went on to study at Franklin Institute in Boston.
In 1962, Clyde Meserve hired Massachusetts first licenced woman master electrician.
21 year old Deanna Dunlevy of 17 West Union St took three examinations, 2 written and one oral, and within days was awarded her journeyman and master electrician’s license.
Information & Image provided by Bruce Meserve from an ICS magazine published in 1962.
