Gloria Conyers Hewitt facts for kids

Gloria Conyers Hewitt, born in 1935, is an amazing American mathematician. She made history as the fourth African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. Her work focused on interesting areas like group theory and abstract algebra. She also became the first African American woman to lead a math department in the United States.

Early Life and Education Journey

Growing Up in South Carolina

Gloria Conyers Hewitt was born on October 26, 1935, in Sumter, South Carolina. From a young age, she showed a strong interest in learning. Her journey into the world of mathematics began early.

College and Graduate School

In 1952, Gloria started attending Fisk University. She graduated in 1956 with a degree in secondary mathematics education. This degree prepared her to teach math to high school students.

Without her knowing, the head of her department, Lee Lorch, suggested her to two graduate schools. Because of this, she was offered a special scholarship at the University of Washington. This happened even though she hadn't applied there!

Gloria earned her master's degree from the University of Washington in 1960. She then went on to get her Ph.D. in 1962. Her Ph.D. paper was about "Direct and Inverse Limits of Abstract Algebras."

A Career in Mathematics

Teaching at the University of Montana

In 1961, Dr. Hewitt joined the teaching staff at the University of Montana. She quickly became a valued member of the team. By 1966, she was given tenure, which means she had a permanent teaching position. She was also promoted to associate professor.

Her hard work continued, and in 1972, she became a full professor. This was a big achievement in her career.

Leading the Math Department

In 1995, Dr. Hewitt was chosen to be the chair of the Department of Mathematical Science. This made her the first African American woman to lead a math department in the United States. She held this important role until she retired in June 1999. When she retired, she was given the title of Professor Emeritus. This title is given to professors who have served with distinction.

Working with Other Organizations

While teaching at the University of Montana, Dr. Hewitt also helped many other math organizations. She was part of the executive council for Pi Mu Epsilon, a math honor society. She also led the committee that wrote questions for the math part of the GREs. These are important tests for students applying to graduate school.

Dr. Hewitt also worked as a consultant for the Advanced Placement (AP) calculus exam. This exam allows high school students to earn college credit. In 1995, she received an award for her twelve years of service to the Educational Testing Service (ETS). She also served on the Board of Governors for the Mathematical Association of America.

Overcoming Challenges

Many people might expect Dr. Hewitt to have faced many challenges because of her race and gender. However, in an interview, she shared that she didn't feel these issues negatively affected her studies. She did write an article called "The Status of Women in Mathematics" for the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

She also said, "Some of my fellow graduate students did all they could to help and encourage me. They included me in most of their activities. I know this situation was not the norm for a lot of Blacks studying mathematics, but I was fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time." This shows how supportive her environment was.

Awards and Special Recognition

Honors and Fellowships

Dr. Hewitt has received many honors for her contributions to mathematics. She was awarded a special National Science Foundation postdoctoral Science Faculty Fellowship. This fellowship helps scientists continue their research. She was also elected to the board of governors of the Mathematical Association of America.

Recognized for Her Impact

Her achievements have also been recognized by Mathematically Gifted & Black. They honored her as a Black History Month honoree in 2018. This group celebrates the achievements of Black mathematicians.

Supporting Future Mathematicians

In 2018, the University of Washington created the Gloria Hewitt Endowed Graduate Student Support Fund. This fund was set up to honor Dr. Hewitt's huge contributions to math. It helps support graduate students in the Department of Mathematics. The fund especially aims to help students who are not often seen in the field of mathematics. It started with $50,000 to help promote excellence and fairness in the graduate program.

See also

In Spanish: Gloria Conyers Hewitt para niños