Martin Luther King Day
In
honor of Dr. King’s work towards African American equality, here is some
information about Elbert Frank Cox, the first African American to receive a Ph.
D in mathematics.
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| http://www.aaregistry.org/ |
Elbert Cox was born in Evansville,
Indiana in 1895. His father had spent time at Indiana University completing
graduate work, and Cox soon followed in his father’s footsteps attending
Indiana University for his undergraduate degree. Despite his achievement in the
field of math, Cox was subject to unfair treatment due to his race. His college
transcript was imprinted with the word “colored” and in 1921 he was denied
admission to Cornell due to a recommendation letter describing concerns about
his race. However, after receiving the Erastus Brooks Fellowship in 1922, he
enrolled in Cornell University. In 1925, he became the first African American
to receive a Ph. D in mathematics and was recognized on a national and
international level. Cox passed away in 1969, after a 40-year career of
teaching and inspiring other young mathematicians. Elbert Cox is honored annually
at the National Association of Mathematicians meeting through the Cox-Talbot
Address.
Stay tuned to our social media pages for more in depth information about African American mathematicians as we celebrate the upcoming African American history month in February!
References: www.math/buffalo.edu
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