Jessie Forbes Cameron facts for kids

Jessie Forbes Cameron (1883 – 1968) was a smart British mathematician. In 1912, she made history. She became the first woman to get her doctorate in math from the University of Marburg in Germany.

A Life of Learning

Jessie Cameron was born on January 8, 1883. Her hometown was Stanley, Scotland. She was one of eight children. Her father, James Cameron, was a school principal. Her mother was Jessie Forbes.

Jessie went to Perth Academy in Scotland. Then, she studied at the University of Edinburgh for two years. From 1905 to 1908, she focused on math. She studied at Newnham College in England. This college is part of the University of Cambridge. She earned a Master of Arts (MA) degree there. She was ranked as the tenth best in her class. This was a special honor called "10th Wrangler." She also passed the "Mathematical Tripos" exam. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

Advanced Math Studies

After Cambridge, Jessie moved to University of Göttingen in Germany. She studied math there for another year. Finally, she went to the University of Marburg. She spent three semesters there. She worked with a famous mathematician, Kurt Hensel. Jessie wrote her main paper, called a dissertation. It was about "the decomposition of a prime number in a composed body."

Before she could get her degree, there was a small problem. Jessie had finished her work. Her advisor, Dr. Hensel, had approved it. But she didn't know about a special rule for German universities. On November 10, 1911, she got a letter. It was from the Dean of the Philosophy Faculty.

The letter said her paper was good. But there were "legal difficulties" for her final exam. The rules said students needed to study for at least six semesters. This had to be at a German university. Or it could be at a foreign university set up like a German one. Universities in Great Britain were not counted.

Jessie had only studied five semesters in Germany. Her ten semesters in Scotland and England did not count easily. She needed special permission from the Minister of Education. The Dean had already asked the Minister for her. He hoped the Minister would say yes. Then, Jessie could take her final exams before Christmas.

Soon, she got the Minister's permission. She passed her exams on December 20, 1911. She was tested in math, physics, and philosophy. She passed with "magna cum laude," which means "with great praise." This made Jessie Cameron the first woman to earn a PhD in math at that university. Her dissertation was published in 1912.

On September 28, 1912, Jessie married Edward Vincent Thompson. He was a lawyer. She went back to Newnham College for a year. She worked as an "Assistant Lecturer." She was the only one of the first female math students to work as a math lecturer after getting her doctorate.

Later Life

In 1913, Jessie and Edward moved to London. Edward got a job at the British Treasury. Jessie had one daughter and two sons. She stayed connected with Newnham College until 1927. During World War I, her family moved to Berkhamsted, England. There, Jessie started working with the British National Council of Women.

Jessie Forbes (Cameron) Thompson passed away on March 27, 1968. She was 85 years old. She died in Southwold, England.

Published Work

• Cameron, Jessie Forbes. About the decomposition of a prime number in a composed body. University of Marburg, 1912.

More Information

• Cameron, Jessie Forbes. In: Newnham College Register, Vol. 1, 1905, pages 184-185.
• Francesca M. Wilson: Jessie Forbes Thompson (born Cameron), 1883-1968 (Newnham 1905-1909 and 1912-1913). In: Newnham College Roll Letter, Cambridge 1969, pages 63–64.