Evelyn Boyd Granville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Evelyn Boyd Granville
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Evelyn Boyd Granville in 1945
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| Born | May 1, 1924 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Died | June 27, 2023 (aged 99) Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Awards | honorary doctorate: Smith College honorary doctorate: Spelman College |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics and Education |
| Thesis | On Laguerre Series in the Complex Domain (1949) |
| Doctoral advisor | Einar Hille |
Evelyn Boyd Granville (born May 1, 1924 – died June 27, 2023) was an amazing American mathematician. She was one of the first African-American women to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. She got her degree from Yale University in 1949. Evelyn also did important early work in the world of computers.
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Early Life and School
Evelyn Boyd was born in Washington, D.C.. Her father worked many different jobs during the Great Depression. Her parents separated when she was young. Evelyn and her older sister were raised by their mother and aunt. Both women worked at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
Evelyn was the top student at Dunbar High School. This school was for Black students in Washington. Even though it was segregated, it was known for its strong academics.
College and Beyond
In 1941, Evelyn started at Smith College. Her aunt helped her financially, and she also had a small scholarship. She studied mathematics and physics. She was also very interested in astronomy. Evelyn did very well, graduating with top honors in 1945.
She then went to Yale University for her graduate studies. She chose Yale because they offered her financial help. In 1949, she earned her Ph.D. in mathematics. Her special area of study was called "functional analysis."
A Career in Math and Computers
After Yale, Evelyn worked at New York University. She did research and taught there. In 1950, she became a teacher at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. This was a college for Black students. Two of her students later earned their own doctorates in mathematics.
In 1952, Evelyn left teaching and started working at the Diamond Ordnance Fuze Laboratories. In 1956, she joined IBM as a computer programmer. When IBM got a contract with NASA, she moved to the Vanguard Computing Center. There, she helped with calculations for the Apollo program. This included figuring out how spacecraft would travel.
In 1967, Evelyn became a full professor of mathematics. She taught at California State University, Los Angeles. After retiring in 1984, she continued teaching. She taught at Texas College and then at the University of Texas at Tyler. She even created math programs for elementary school students. Evelyn has always supported women in science and technology.
Facing Challenges
In 1951, Evelyn and some Black colleagues faced unfair treatment. They went to a math meeting in Nashville. They were allowed to attend the sessions. However, they were not allowed to attend the closing dinner. This was because of their race.
This event led to important changes. People wrote letters to the main math organizations. They asked for rules against discrimination. While the rules weren't changed right away, new policies were put in place. Since then, these groups have made sure everyone is treated fairly.
Personal Life
Evelyn Boyd married Reverend Gamaliele Mansfield Collins in 1961. They later divorced in 1967. In 1970, she married Edward V. Granville. They moved to Tyler, Texas, in 1983.
After Edward passed away, Evelyn moved back to Washington, D.C. in 2010. She often smiled when she heard people say that "women can't do math." Evelyn Boyd Granville passed away on June 27, 2023, at the age of 99. Her papers and work are kept at Smith College's Special Collections.
Inspiring Words
- "I always smile when I hear that women cannot excel in mathematics."
- "We accepted education as the means to rise above the limitations that a prejudiced society endeavored to place upon us."
Awards and Honors
Evelyn Granville received many awards for her important work:
- In 1989, Smith College gave her an honorary doctorate. This was the first time an American school gave this honor to an African-American woman mathematician.
- She held the Sam A. Lindsey Chair of the University of Texas at Tyler from 1990 to 1991.
- In 1998, the National Academy of Engineering honored her.
- In 1999, the United States National Academy of Sciences added her to its collection of famous African-Americans in Science.
- In 2000, she received the Wilbur Lucius Cross Medal. This is the highest honor from the Yale Graduate School Alumni Association.
- In 2006, she received an honorary degree from Spelman College.
- In 2016, a technology company called New Relic named her one of "four giants of women's contributions to science and technology."
- In 2019, she was recognized by Mathematically Gifted & Black as a Black History Month Honoree.
