Annie MacKinnon facts for kids

Annie Louise MacKinnon Fitch (born June 1, 1868 – died September 12, 1940) was a very smart mathematician. She was born in Canada but became an American professor. She taught math at Wells College. Annie was one of the first women to earn a special math degree called a doctorate in the United States. She even worked with a famous mathematician named Felix Klein.

Her Early Life and Learning

Annie Louise MacKinnon was born in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. This was on June 1, 1868. Her family moved to Concordia, Kansas, when she was a baby. Her father worked there selling houses and hardware.

After finishing high school in Concordia, she went to the University of Kansas. This university allowed both boys and girls to study. She graduated in 1889. Annie then decided to study math even more. She was the first woman to be a graduate math student there. She earned her master's degree in 1891.

In 1892, Annie moved to Cornell University. She earned her doctorate degree there in 1894. A doctorate is the highest university degree you can get. Her main teacher was James Edward Oliver. This made her only the third woman to get a math doctorate in the United States.

After getting her doctorate, Annie continued to study math. From 1894 to 1896, she studied at the University of Göttingen in Germany. There, she worked with a very famous mathematician named Felix Klein.

Her Career and Later Life

Before going to Cornell, Annie taught high school math. She taught in Lawrence, Kansas, from 1890 to 1892. After returning from Europe in 1896, she became a math professor. She taught at Wells College, which was a college for women in Aurora, New York. She was the only math teacher there.

In 1901, Annie married Edward Fitch. He was a scholar who studied old languages like Greek and Latin. He had also been in Göttingen around the same time as Annie. After she got married, she stopped working as a mathematician.

Annie Louise MacKinnon Fitch passed away on September 12, 1940. She died in Clinton, New York. Her husband later created a scholarship in her name. This scholarship helps students who study mathematics at Hamilton College.