Harriet Griffin facts for kids

Harriet Madeline Griffin was an important American mathematician. She was born in Brooklyn on April 6, 1903. She wrote a textbook about number theory, which is a branch of mathematics. For many years, she taught math at Brooklyn College. She passed away on January 13, 1991.

Harriet Griffin's Early Life and Learning

Harriet grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Her father was a furniture salesman. She went to Baldwin High School. She was the best student in her class when she graduated in 1920. This means she was the valedictorian.

College and Advanced Studies

In 1925, Harriet earned her first college degree from Hunter College. She was a top student there too. She joined Phi Beta Kappa, which is a special honor society. She also won a math award. Her sister also studied math and became a teacher.

After college, Harriet taught at Hunter College. This was from 1926 to 1930. During this time, she also earned a master's degree. She got this degree from Columbia University in 1929. Her master's project was about Modern Geometry in Three Dimensions.

Teaching at Brooklyn College

In 1930, Hunter College joined with the Brooklyn campus of the City College of New York. Together, they formed Brooklyn College. Harriet became a teacher at this new college.

While teaching at Brooklyn College, she kept studying. She earned her Ph.D. in 1939 from New York University. A Ph.D. is the highest college degree you can get. Her special project was called The Abelian Quasi-Group.

After getting her Ph.D., she became a higher-ranked teacher. She became an assistant professor in 1940. Then she was an associate professor in 1950. Finally, she became a full professor in 1956.

She stopped teaching full-time in 1966. She was given the title of professor emerita. This means she was still honored as a professor even after retiring. She continued to teach for two more years at Molloy College. Harriet Griffin died in Lakewood, New Jersey, on January 13, 1991.

Harriet Griffin's Books

Harriet Griffin wrote an important math book. It was called Elementary Theory of Numbers. It was published in 1954.

She also wrote two other textbooks. These were published by Brooklyn College Press. One was The Concepts of the Theory of Numbers (1947). The other was Systems of Abstract Algebra (1962).

Recognition and Awards

In 1960, Harriet Griffin received a special honor. She was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This is a big honor for scientists. It means she was recognized for her important work in science and math.