Lesley Souter

Lesley Scott Souter (23 October 1917 – 21 April 1981) was the first female electrical engineering student at the University of Glasgow, graduating in 1940.

Biography Souter was born in Elgin, Moray, Scotland to James Stephen Souter and his wife on 25 October 1917. Her father was an electrical Engineer. Souter went to the University of Glasgow in 1936 and on graduation she returned to Elgin where she worked as an engineer. A summer job at the General Electrical Company in Wembley led further employment opportunities and Souter spent time working for GEC research labs and on GEC's solid state physics research. While there she had a patent from her work on resistors registered. In 1946, Souter was chosen to demonstrate technical equipment to Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth when they visited the GEC research facility.

Souter also worked for both Mullard and Siemens Research Laboratories. After retirement Souter was elected to Rugby Borough Council in 1976 as their Conservative councillor. She is remembered by Lesley Souter House.

Memberships Souter was a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. She travelled to the USSR with Rose Winslade in 1960 (funded by the Caroline Haslett Memorial Trust founded by the British Electricity Authority). They went to investigate the role of female engineers in the USSR.

Lesley Souter died on 21 April 1981 in Rugby, Warwickshire.

Souter was inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame in 2025.