Dagmar R. Henney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dagmar R. Henney
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An early photo of Henney
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| Born |
Dagmar Renate Kirchner
May 6, 1931 Berlin, Germany
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| Died | September 16, 2023 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Former professor at George Washington University |
| Spouse(s) | Alan Henney |
Dagmar Renate "Reni" Kirchner Henney (May 6, 1931–September 16, 2023) was a German-born American mathematician. She was a professor at George Washington University in Washington, DC. She taught subjects like calculus and advanced mathematics.
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Early Life and Education
Dagmar Henney was born in Berlin, Germany. Her father was a scientist, and her mother was Jewish. During World War II, the Nazi Party targeted Jewish people. Because of this, Henney's mother was taken to Auschwitz, where she later died.
Dagmar and her father had to move often to avoid the Nazi Party. They lived in Berlin and Hamburg. Dagmar once remembered finding many unexploded bombs near her home during this time.
Learning During Wartime
As a Jewish child, Dagmar was not allowed to go to a regular school during the war. Her father taught her at home. He taught her chess and mathematics. If she won a chess game, he would give her math problems to solve.
At age 10, Dagmar took an important exam to get into Abitur High School in Hamburg. She remembered a question about a frog climbing a flagpole. She had to figure out how long it would take the frog to reach the top.
College in the United States
When she was 21, Dagmar moved to the United States. She wanted to go to college. She had many credits from her high school studies. This helped her start quickly at the University of Miami in Florida.
She continued to study mathematics. She took classes in nuclear physics and advanced calculus. She also became interested in languages. She studied old forms of English.
While in Miami, Dagmar worked part-time jobs. She was a movie theater cashier. She also taught classes at the university. She graduated in three years with two degrees. She earned a Bachelor of Science in physics, math, and chemistry. She also got a Master of Science degree in pure mathematics. She met her future husband, Alan G. Henney, in a nuclear physics class.
Earning a Doctorate
After college, Dagmar and her husband moved to Takoma Park, Maryland. She began working on her doctorate degree at the University of Maryland at College Park. She taught many classes there. She also managed off-campus classes and helped international students.
During this time, she wrote her big research paper, called a "dissertation." It was about special math functions. She finished her doctorate in 1965. At her graduation, she received a blank paper instead of her diploma. This was because she had forgotten to pay a graduation fee!
Dagmar Henney had a famous distant cousin, Kurt Weill. He was a German composer.
Career in Mathematics
After finishing her doctorate, Dagmar Henney became a professor. She taught in the Department of Mathematics at George Washington University. She taught classes like calculus and other advanced math topics. She also advised student groups. These included Pi Mu Epsilon (a math honor society) and Phi Beta Kappa (a general honor society).
Research and Publications
Dagmar Henney did a lot of research. In 1962, she published papers like "Set-Valued Quadratic Functionals." She also published eight research papers in journals around the world.
She wrote a book called Properties of Set Valued Additive Functions. This book looked at how certain math functions work. She also wrote a popular book called Unsolved Questions in Mathematics. This book explored math problems that no one had solved yet.
Henney also helped edit a book called Open Questions in Mathematics. This book featured the work of important scientists and Nobel Prize winners. She often used findings from mathematicians in Europe to help her own research.
Honors and Awards
Dagmar Henney received many honors for her work. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She was also listed in Who's Who of American Women and The World's Who's Who.
She was the first female student to get a scholarship from B'nai B'rith to attend the University of Miami. She also joined the National Association of Science Writers. Henney was a finalist for a program that connects scientists with government leaders in Capitol Hill. Johns Hopkins University also honored her work at a special math conference.
Personal Life
In 1956, Dagmar Henney became a citizen of the United States. She lived in the Washington, DC, area until she passed away in 2023.
