“No Mining Engineer Could Be a Lady”: A Historical Case Study of Drag and Humor in Technical Writing, 1911–1917

Technical Communication Quarterly Feb 2026

“No Mining Engineer Could Be a Lady”: A Historical Case Study of Drag and Humor in Technical Writing, 1911–1917

Andrew Fiss Michigan Technological University

Abstract

The first yearbook of the Michigan College of Mines (1915–1916) included a feature about the short-lived student drama club, the “Micomi Club” (1911–1914). It was ending because male students could no longer play female characters: “no mining engineer could be a lady.” Using historical case study methods, this article argues that the yearbook feature demonstrates, in content, worries about the destabilizing potential of drag performance and, in form, the uses of humor in technical writing.

Journal: Technical Communication Quarterly
Published: 2026-02-02
DOI: 10.1080/10572252.2026.2623667
Open Access: Closed
Topics: qualitative research technical communication

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