Jeanie S. McCoy: Industry pioneer

By Dr. Bill Tuszynski, The Unami Group, LLC, and Mike Anderson, Falex Corporation | TLT STLE History November 2026

This remarkable woman blazed a trail as one of the first women in the organization and left an enduring legacy of leadership in metalworking fluid technology and tribology education.

STLE has a number of awards and scholarships honoring members for their contributions both to the industry and service to STLE. Unfortunately, for many members, especially newer ones, these individuals are little more than names on the program for the President's Luncheon at the STLE Annual Meeting. We will be posting articles on these distinguished contributors so that members can fully appreciate their past achievements. We also welcome contributions by any STLE members who are willing to write about these individuals.

Source material for this article comes from two TLT articles. The first, by STLE Past President Mike Anderson, talks about the importance of education to STLE and how he and former STLE executive director Ed Salek presented Jeanie S. McCoy with a plaque recognizing the establishment of the scholarship in her name.1 The second article summarizes McCoy's career in the lubricant industry and her accomplishments with STLE that led to the establishment of the scholarship.2

McCoy graduated from Northwestern University in 1944 with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. She began her career with the Buick Division of General Motors before moving to The Hodson Oil Co. in 1945 where she worked on developing metalworking fluids until joining International Harvester in 1947. McCoy's time at Hodson Oil was important for her relationship with STLE (ASLE at the time) as company president Walter Hodson is recognized as the key founder of the organization. McCoy remained at International Harvester until her retirement in 1985. She then "failed retirement," starting Jeanie McCoy Technologies, a consultancy specializing in optimizing metalworking fluid use.

1952 was a watershed year for McCoy as she applied for membership in the then-young ASLE as one of, if not the, first women members of the organization. She then began six decades of membership in ASLE and STLE. McCoy had many decades as an active volunteer, culminating in serving as editor for Lubrication Engineering (predecessor to TLT) for over 20 years. She was also a frequent speaker at STLE Local Sections and other meetings and education courses, all on the subject of metalworking fluid maintenance.

McCoy received many awards and honors from STLE. In 1989, she became the first woman elected as an STLE Fellow. She received the STLE P.M. Ku Meritorious Award in 1991, and the STLE International Award, STLE's highest honor, in 2000.

The Jeanie S. McCoy Scholarship was established in 2017 to recognize outstanding female undergraduate and graduate students in the field of tribology. Awarded every year since then, a number of the awardees have established themselves as leaders in academia and industry.

"I first met Jeanie McCoy right after graduating and beginning my career at International Harvester," says STLE Past President Mike Anderson. "She was an inspiration to many and particularly me, increasing my dedication to STLE."

McCoy passed away in mid-July 2019. She was 97, and her memory lives on within STLE.


On June 21, 2017, former STLE Executive Director Ed Salek and Mike Anderson presented a plaque to Life Member Jeanie McCoy recognizing the new scholarship named in her honor for women pursuing careers in tribology.
STLE History Interest Group
STLE has the History Interest Group to share historically important topics with the readership. The STLE History Interest Group explores the people, discoveries and events that have shaped STLE and the field of tribology and lubrication engineering. By sharing historically significant topics, the group helps preserve our community's rich technical heritage and highlight innovations that continue to influence the industry today. Watch for occasional articles from the group in TLT.
REFERENCES
1. Anderson, M. (2017), "The Jeanie McCoy Scholarship Award," TLT, 73 (8), p. 4. Available at www.stle.org/files/TLTArchives/2017/08_August/Presidents_Report.aspx.
2. STLE (2017), "STLE creates Jeanie McCoy Scholarship Award," TLT, 73 (8), p. 5. Available at www.stle.org/files/TLTArchives/2017/08_August/Scholarship_Award.aspx.

Dr. Bill Tuszynski is partner at The Unami Group, LLC. You can reach him at w.tuszynski@unamigroup.com. Mike Anderson is Area Manager Asia Pacific/Latin America for Falex Corp. You can reach him at manderson@falex.com.