Edith Bush facts for kids

Edith Linwood Bush (born September 15, 1882 – died November 3, 1977) was an important American mathematician. She taught math to her younger brother, Vannevar Bush, when he was in high school. Later, she became the dean of Jackson College for Women at Tufts University. She was also the first woman ever to teach engineering at Tufts.

Her Life Story

Edith Bush was born in Everett, Massachusetts, on September 15, 1882. She was one of three children. Her father, R. Perry Bush, was a minister, and her mother was Emma Linwood Paine. Edith grew up in Chelsea, Massachusetts.

She went to Tufts University and graduated in 1903. While there, she was part of two important groups: Chi Omega and Phi Beta Kappa.

From 1906 to 1918, Edith was the head math teacher at Chelsea High School. This is where she taught her younger brother, Vannevar Bush, who later became a famous scientist and engineer.

After a short time as a principal at Provincetown High School, Edith returned to Tufts University in 1920. She started there as a math instructor.

In 1922, she became an assistant professor at Tufts. This was a big step because she was the first woman to teach in the School of Engineering! In 1925, she became the dean of Jackson College for Women and a full professor.

Edith Bush retired in 1952. After retiring, she moved back to Provincetown, Massachusetts. She lived in a house that her grandfather, Captain Lysander N. Paine, had built. She passed away on November 3, 1977, in Waltham, Massachusetts.

How She Was Honored

Tufts University recognized Edith Bush's amazing work. In 1942, they gave her an honorary doctorate degree.

In 1959, a new student building at Tufts was named Bush Hall in her honor. It was first a dormitory for undergraduate women. After some big renovations in 1995, it became an undergraduate dormitory again.