Ethel A. Birchland (1888-1974)
As commissioner of public works in Westport, Connecticut, in the 1920s, Birchland was the only woman highway official in the world. She was elected American Road Builders Association (today’s ARTBA) secretary in 1923 and served until 1929. She played a key role in the association’s relocation from New York City to Washington, D.C., a move that strengthened its policy voice before Congress, the White House, and federal agencies.
Birchland helped lead the industry during the growth of a national road building program following several Federal-Aid Road Acts in the 1920s.
