Charlotte Scott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charlotte Scott
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Charlotte Angas Scott, from the 1910 yearbook of Bryn Mawr College
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| Born | 8 June 1858 Lincoln, England
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| Died | 10 November 1931 (aged 73) Cambridge, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | Cambridge University Bryn Mawr College |
| Doctoral advisor | Arthur Cayley |
| Doctoral students | Louise Cummings Ada Maddison Virginia Ragsdale Emilie Martin |
Charlotte Angas Scott (born June 8, 1858 – died November 10, 1931) was a brilliant British mathematician. She moved to the United States and became very important in shaping how mathematics was taught there. She also helped women get a better education in math. Charlotte Scott even helped change the rules for a famous math exam at Cambridge University.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Charlotte was the second of seven children. Her father, Caleb Scott, was a minister. She studied at Girton College, Cambridge from 1876 to 1880. She earned a scholarship to help pay for her studies. After graduating, she worked there as a math lecturer until 1884.
In 1885, Charlotte made history. She became one of the first British women to earn a doctorate degree. She was also the very first British woman to get a doctorate in mathematics! She earned this degree from the University of London. Even though she did her research at Cambridge, they didn't give degrees to women back then. So, she took her exams through the University of London instead.
The Famous Math Exam
In 1880, Charlotte Scott got special permission to take the Cambridge Mathematical Tripos exam. Normally, women were not allowed to take this difficult test. She did incredibly well, coming in eighth place among all the students. However, because she was a woman, the official title of "eighth wrangler" went to a male student. Being a "wrangler" was a huge honor.
At the award ceremony, something amazing happened. After the seventh wrangler's name was called, everyone in the audience started shouting "Scott of Girton!" They cheered loudly and waved their hats.
The man read out the names and when he came to 'eighth,' before he could say the name, all the undergraduates called out 'Scott of Girton,' and cheered tremendously, shouting her name over and over again with tremendous cheers and waving of hats.
—contemporary report, "Charlotte Angas Scott (1858–1931)" in Women of Mathematics: A Biobibliographic Sourcebook
Charlotte couldn't go to the official ceremony. Instead, she celebrated at Girton College. Students cheered and clapped for her at dinner. They even sang "See the Conquering Hero Comes" and crowned her with laurels (a symbol of victory).
Because of her achievement, women were later allowed to take the exam officially. Their scores were listed, but separately from the men's. Women who passed received a special certificate instead of a BA degree. Charlotte's success was seen as a major step forward for women's education and rights in England.
Her Work in Mathematics
In 1885, Charlotte Scott moved to the United States. She became one of the first eight professors at Bryn Mawr College. She was an Associate Professor of Mathematics and later a full Professor from 1888 to 1917. She was the very first mathematician at Bryn Mawr and led the math department.
During her time there, she guided several pioneering women mathematicians. Three of the nine women who earned doctorates in mathematics in the 1800s studied with Charlotte Scott.
Her special area of math was studying specific algebraic curves. These are shapes made by math equations. Her book, An Introductory Account of Certain Modern Ideas and Methods in Plane Analytical Geometry, was published in 1894. It was reprinted 30 years later! Charlotte was one of the first textbook writers in English to clearly explain the difference between a general math rule and a specific example. She helped change how math proofs were written, making them more abstract and modern.
In 1891, she became the first woman to join the New York Mathematical Society. This group later became the American Mathematical Society. In 1894, she was the first woman to serve on the Society's council. Her math paper, "A Proof of Noether's Fundamental Theorem," was one of the first American math papers recognized in Europe. In 1897, she was one of only four women to attend the first ever International Congress of Mathematicians in Zurich. In 1906, Charlotte Scott became the vice-president of the American Mathematical Society.
Supporting Women in Math
Charlotte Scott believed that women needed to act in a proper, traditional way to help promote their equality in education and politics. For example, she didn't like smoking or makeup. However, she did cut her hair short (a "bob cut") before moving to Bryn Mawr, which was quite daring for the time. This idea was common among early women's college communities. They felt that if women behaved very properly, it would help them gain respect and opportunities.
She strongly believed that women's classes should be just as challenging as men's. She wrote a letter to the president of Bryn Mawr College, M. Carey Thomas, saying:
I am most disturbed and disappointed at present to find you taking the position that intellectual pursuits must be "watered down" to make them suitable for women, and that a lower standard must be adopted at a woman's college than in a man's. I do not expect any of the other members of the faculty to feel this way about it; they, like (nearly) all men that I have known, doubtless take an attitude of toleration, half amused and half kindly, on the whole question; for even where men are willing to help in women's education, it is with an inward reserve of condescension.
—Charlotte Scott, Scott Papers
Charlotte wanted women to have the same high standards and opportunities as men in their studies.
Later Life
In 1906, Charlotte Scott and Grace Andrews were the only two women listed in the first edition of American Men of Science. This book recognized important scientists.
Around 1906, Charlotte developed a painful condition called rheumatoid arthritis. This, along with her hearing loss, made it harder for her to work. Her doctor suggested she get more exercise outdoors. So, Charlotte started gardening and even created a new type of chrysanthemum flower!
She retired in 1924. She stayed an extra year at Bryn Mawr to help her last doctoral student finish her work. Then, she moved back to Cambridge, England.
Charlotte Scott passed away on November 10, 1931. She was buried in the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge, in her cousin Eliza Nevin's grave.
Recognition
In 2016, Cambridge University decided to name a part of its new development after Charlotte Scott. This honors her important contributions to mathematics and women's education.
Images for kids
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Charlotte Angas Scott, from the 1910 yearbook of Bryn Mawr College
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Charlotte Angas Scott
See also
In Spanish: Charlotte Scott para niños
