Texas' first woman engineer honored with new historical marker in Bastrop

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) -- Texas' first woman engineer was honored in her hometown of Bastrop on Monday.

Leah Moncure made history in 1938 by becoming the first woman in Texas to earn a professional engineering license.

She went on to work for the Texas Highway Department -- now called the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) -- for 32 years. Moncure specialized in research, right-of-way, and road design. During her tenure, she worked in Houston, Austin, Beaumont, and Lufkin, according to the department.

The Texas Historical Commission and Bastrop County on Monday unveiled a new historical marker to honor her accomplishments. The marker is part of the Commission’s "Undertold" program, which was designed to "address historical gaps, promote diversity of topics and proactively document significant underrepresented subjects or untold stories," per the Commission's website.

The marker was awarded in early 2021 and was unveiled at a dedication ceremony at Moncure's home in Bastrop on January 13, 2025.

Diana Schulze wants to carry on Moncure's legacy. Schulze became the first-ever female engineer to hold the top spot at any TxDOT office in the agency’s Austin District when she took over the role of head engineer in Moncure’s hometown of Bastrop in 2016.

“I think it’s pretty neat that we both have ties to Bastrop County. We’ve come a long way, and it’s important we continue to honor Leah’s legacy," Schulze said. “There’s no reason that upcoming female engineers can’t be successful like Leah and many others before them.”