Edith Clarke was born in 1883, and she was one of nine children. She was raised in a prosperous family, and received a typical upbringing of a young girl during the 19th century: emphasizing the importance of being a wife and a mother. By the time she was twelve, both of her parents passed away, and she was raised by her older sister. Clarke used her inheritance to go to Vassar College and study math and astronomy.
Clarke began teaching in mathematics in California until she realized her true passion was engineering. This passion lead her to get a formal education in the field. She began studying at University of Wisconsin–Madison, and she got a job as a Computer Assistant to AT&T research engineer. Continuing her studies, Clark took classes at Columbia University in electrical engineering and then earned an M.S. in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Despite her comprehensive education, employers were reluctant to hire a female engineer. Eventually, she found a job as a supervisor of computers in the Turbine Engineering Department in GE. Outside of work,Clarke invented the Clarke calculator, a simple graphical device that solved equations involving electric current, voltage and impedance in power transmission lines. After taking some time off to travel in Europe and teach women about physics, Clarke got another job at GE as a electrical engineer in the Central Station Engineering Department. She continued to work for GE for over twenty years, and she left in 1945.