In 1974, Mary Wallace became the first female bus driver in Chicago
For a long time, women were excluded from specific jobs simply because of prejudice. Driving a bus was one of these jobs( amongst many others), and even today, women are still considered less capable drivers, although this assertion has no basis. Mary Wallace did much to change that misconception when she was hired by the Chicago Transit Authority in 1974.
According to a news article from the era, Miss Wallace wanted the job because she liked dealing with people. She sang gospel in her church choir and graduated from Olive-Harvey College with a business degree. In the end, she handled the large vehicle just as well as her male colleagues did.