Helen Abbot Merrill facts for kids
Helen Abbot Merrill (born 1864, died 1949) was an amazing American mathematician. She was also a dedicated teacher and wrote many helpful textbooks.
Helen Abbot Merrill's Life Story
Helen Abbot Merrill was born on March 30, 1864, in Llewellyn Park, New Jersey. When she was a child, her family moved to Massachusetts.
In 1882, Helen started college at Wellesley College. She first planned to study Greek and Latin. But after just one year, she found her true passion: mathematics! She graduated in 1886.
Helen began teaching at Wellesley College in 1893. While teaching, she also continued her own studies and gave lectures in other countries. In 1903, she earned her PhD in mathematics from Yale University. Her teacher there was a famous mathematician named James Pierpont.
Helen was very respected in the world of mathematics. In 1920, she became the vice-president of the Mathematical Association of America. This is a big group for mathematicians in the United States. When she retired from Wellesley, she was given the special title of Professor Emerita. This means she was still honored as a professor even after she stopped teaching full-time.
Her Books
Helen Abbot Merrill wrote several important books during her career.
She wrote two textbooks with another mathematician, Clara Eliza Smith. These books were:
- Selected Topics in Higher Algebra (published in 1914)
- A First Course in Higher Algebra (published in 1917)
In 1933, Helen also wrote a book called Mathematical Excursions. This book was for a wider audience, not just students. It helped make math fun and easy to understand for more people.
