▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 2 ▁she ▁began ▁working ▁for ▁her ▁father ▁to ▁fill ▁the ▁void ▁left ▁by ▁Tom ' s ▁death . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁she ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁woman ▁to ▁be ▁admitted ▁to ▁study ▁engineering ▁at ▁Corn ell ▁University ▁in ▁I th aca , ▁NY ▁, ▁although ▁she ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁complete ▁her ▁studies ▁at ▁Corn ell ▁due ▁to ▁her ▁required ▁presence ▁in ▁the ▁factory . ▁She ▁continued ▁her ▁studies ▁upon ▁returning ▁to ▁Ro chester ▁at ▁the ▁Mechan ics ▁Institute , ▁later ▁renamed ▁Ro chester ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology . ▁She ▁was ▁act ively ▁involved ▁as ▁the ▁tre as urer ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁sales w oman ▁for ▁G le ason ▁Works . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁she ▁tou red ▁Europe ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁company ' s ▁business , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁times ▁an ▁American ▁manufact urer ▁tried ▁to ▁global ize ▁their ▁business . ▁Today , ▁international ▁sales ▁make ▁up ▁almost ▁ 3 / 4 ▁of ▁the ▁company ' s ▁business . ▁▁ ▁Fred ▁H . ▁Col vin ▁described ▁Kate ▁G le ason ▁in ▁his ▁mem oir s ▁as ▁" a ▁kind ▁of ▁Madame ▁Cur ie ▁of ▁machine ▁tools ▁[ … ] ▁Kate ▁spent ▁her ▁youth ▁learning ▁her ▁father ' s ▁business ▁from ▁the ▁ground ▁up , ▁both ▁in ▁the ▁shop ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁field , ▁so ▁that ▁when ▁she ▁branch ed ▁out ▁for ▁herself ▁about ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁as ▁a ▁sales w oman ▁for ▁her ▁father ' s ▁g ear -