Georgia Caldwell Smith
One of the first African-American women to gain a bachelor's degree in mathematics
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Georgia Caldwell Smith (1909–1961) was one of the first African-American women to gain a bachelor's degree in mathematics.[1] When she was 51, she earned a Ph.D. in mathematics, one of the earliest by an African-American woman, awarded posthumously in 1961.[2][3] Smith was the head of the Department of Mathematics at Spelman College.[2][4]
- One of the first African-American woman awarded a Ph.D. in mathematics
- Head of Spelman's Department of Mathematics
Georgia Caldwell Smith | |
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Georgia Caldwell, later Smith, from a 1928 publication | |
| Born | September 28, 1909 Atchison, Kansas, US |
| Died | 6 May 1961 (aged 51) |
| Alma mater | |
| Known for |
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| Awards | Posthumous Ph.D. |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | |
Early life and education
Smith was born in Atchison, Kansas on 28 August 1909,[4] and attended segregated public schools.[2] She gained her A.B. in 1928, and A.M. in 1929, both in mathematics from the University of Kansas.[2][5] She gained a master's in mathematics from the University of Chicago in 1929. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
Career
Smith was an assistant professor of mathematics of the faculty of Spelman College from 1929 to 1938,[2][6] and then at Lincoln University (Missouri) until 1943 and Alabama State College.[2][7] She returned to Spelman in 1945 to take on the position of head of the Department of Mathematics.[6][5]
Smith undertook further study at the University of Minnesota and University of Georgia, gaining a National Science Foundation fellowship to work on her doctorate.[6] Smith completed her dissertation in 1960 at the University of Pittsburgh, titled Some results on the anti center of a group.[8] Her supervisor was Norman Levine.[2][3] Her thesis, in Group theory, was approved in January 1961; however, she died of cancer in May. She as awarded the Ph.D. posthumously in 1961.
Professional memberships included the Mathematical Association of America and the American Mathematical Society,[4] including participation in its 1948 meeting in New York.[9] Smith was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Mu Epsilon.[4][2]