As a CRO, Bright Research works closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In honor of Women’s History Month, we’d like to highlight Imogene Gollinger – the FDA’s first female field inspector.
With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which prohibited discrimination in hiring practices based on sex, race, and other characteristics), new career opportunities became available for women – including at the FDA. In 1965, 20-year-old high school science teacher Imogene Gollinger was hired as an FDA field inspector – one of approximately 800 at the time – and the first woman in the position.
Later in her life, Imogene described some of the challenges she faced in her new role, including traveling solo for work, trying on her inspector uniform (standard men’s coveralls) and finding they didn’t quite fit, and using a shopping cart to carry her heavy equipment. Still, Imogene described her time at the FDA as “biggest opportunity of [her] life.” Read more about Imogene’s story at https://lnkd.in/gxWPYFQ8.
