Eleanor Jones facts for kids

Eleanor Green Dawley Jones (born August 10, 1929 – died March 1, 2021) was an American mathematician. She was one of the first African-American women to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. Dr. Jones helped create math programs for colleges. She also spoke at events to encourage women and minorities to study science and math.

Eleanor Jones's Early Life

Eleanor Green Dawley Jones was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on August 10, 1929. Her parents were George Herbert Green and Lillian Vaughn Green. She was the second of six children. All her siblings earned at least a bachelor's degree.

High School and College Years

Jones went to Booker T. Washington High School. This was a public school that was segregated at the time. She was very smart and finished high school early. She graduated as the top student in 1945 when she was just 15 years old.

After high school, Jones attended Howard University. She received two scholarships to help pay for her studies. One was from the university itself, and the other was from the Pepsi-Cola Corporation. At Howard, she was lucky to have great mentors. These included Elbert Frank Cox, the first African-American to get a Ph.D. in math. She was also mentored by David Blackwell, another famous African-American mathematician.

Jones studied mathematics as her main subject. She also studied physics and education. She graduated with honors from Howard University in 1949. She then earned her master's degree the very next year.

Eleanor Jones's Career in Education

After getting her master's degree, Jones went back to Booker T. Washington High School. This time, she went as a teacher. She taught math and also helped create a new math program for the school.

In 1951, Jones married Edward Dawley, Jr. She took a break from teaching in 1953 to start her family. She returned to teaching in 1955. She became a math instructor at Hampton Institute. Today, this school is known as Hampton University.

Helping Students During Integration

In 1957, public schools in Norfolk began to integrate. This meant that all-white schools started to accept students of all races. Because of this, many segregated public schools for African-American students closed. This left many young people without a place to go to school. Jones stepped in to help. She began tutoring these students at Norfolk's First Baptist Church.

Jones also became active in the civil rights movement. From 1958 to 1960, she was the vice chair of Virginia's branch of CORE. CORE was a group that worked for equal rights for all people.

Pursuing a Doctorate Degree

Jones later decided to pursue a doctorate degree. Hampton Institute only gave permanent teaching positions (tenure) to instructors who had doctorates. At that time, Virginia did not allow black students to get doctorates in the state. So, in 1962, Jones moved with her two sons to Syracuse University in New York.

She received a National Science Foundation fellowship in 1963. This helped her with her studies. She also worked as a teaching assistant at Syracuse University to support her family. Jones earned her doctorate in 1966. Her thesis was about "Abelian Groups," which are a type of mathematical structure.

Teaching at Universities

After earning her doctorate, Jones returned to Hampton Institute. She worked there as an associate professor for the 1966–67 school year. In 1967, she joined the math department at Norfolk State University (NSU).

Jones taught at NSU for more than 30 years. She also continued to learn and grow in her field. She took summer postgraduate courses at other universities. These included New York State University in 1957, the University of Southern California in 1959–60, and the University of Oregon in 1971.

Awards and Recognitions

Dr. Eleanor Green Dawley Jones received many honors for her work.

• In 1965, she was chosen for the Sigma Xi science honor society at Syracuse University. She became a full member in 1985.
• In 1975, Dr. Jones was elected Vice President of the National Association of Mathematicians (NAM).
• In 1994, she received the National Association of Mathematicians Distinguished Service Award. This award recognized her important contributions.
• From 1983 to 1986, she served on the board of governors for the Mathematical Association of America.
• From 1989 to 1994, she was a board member of the Association for Women in Mathematics.
• Starting in 1990, she worked on a committee for the American Mathematical Society. This committee focused on creating opportunities in math for groups of people who were not well-represented.

Dr. Eleanor Green Dawley-Jones passed away in Virginia Beach on March 1, 2021.