Joseph Alphonso Pierce facts for kids

Joseph Alphonso Pierce, Sr. (born August 10, 1902 – died September 18, 1969) was an American math expert and statistician. He was one of the first African-Americans to earn a PhD, which is the highest degree, in Mathematics in the United States. He spent his life as a teacher, a school leader, and a researcher.

Early Life and Education

Joseph Alphonso Pierce was born on August 10, 1902, in Waycross, Georgia. His parents were William Arthur Pierce and Fannie McGraw. Sadly, he became an orphan when he was young. His uncle, Joseph McGraw, raised him in Waycross. Joseph went to public schools in Georgia for his early education. After high school, he continued his studies. He earned his first degree in social science from Atlanta University in 1925. He was also a football player for his college team.

Pierce then earned his master's degree in mathematics from Atlanta University in 1930. Later, he achieved his PhD from the University of Michigan in 1938. For his PhD, he studied how to adjust data for groups of information.

A Career in Math and Teaching

Pierce started his career at Texas College in Tyler, Texas. He taught math there from 1925 to 1927. Since he played college football, he also helped coach the football team. From 1927 to 1929, he taught math at Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, Georgia.

After getting his master's degree in 1930, Pierce became a math professor at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. While there, he worked on his PhD. He and his wife, Dr. Juanita G. Pierce, had a son named Joseph Alphonso Pierce, Jr.

After earning his PhD in 1938, Joseph Pierce went back to Atlanta University. He taught math and statistics there. He also became the head of the Mathematics Department. In 1948, Pierce moved to Texas State College for Negroes. This school later became Texas Southern University in Houston. He was a math professor there from 1948 to 1954. He also led the Math Department from 1948 to 1957. He became the head of the Natural Physical Sciences Division too. He kept moving up at the university. In 1957, he became the Dean of the Graduate School. Pierce continued to teach and be involved at Texas Southern for many years. In 1967, he was chosen to be the President of the University. He also worked as a helper for NASA for two years, from 1967 to 1968.

Helping Black Businesses Grow

While in Atlanta (from 1944 to 1946), Pierce was chosen to lead a big study. This study looked at African American businesses and how they could grow. Atlanta University sponsored this important research. Later, he published his findings in a book called Negro Business and Business Education: Their Present and Prospective Development (1947). Even though he was a great mathematician, Joseph Pierce was most famous for this book.

He discovered that Black-owned businesses received very little support from Black customers. For example, he found that 99 percent of Black customers bought clothes and shoes from white-owned businesses. Also, only 28 percent of Black people shopped at Black-owned grocery stores. He found several reasons for this. These included a lack of advertising, not enough business training, and poor record-keeping by Black business owners.

His book was very important. It helped Atlanta University start a graduate School of Business Administration. Pierce spent most of the rest of his life working to create more job chances for African Americans. He also worked with local universities to improve services for the Black community. He always encouraged Black business leaders to find new ways to grow. He wanted them to serve the needs of Black customers. This would help keep wealth within the community.

Important Accomplishments

As mentioned, Pierce was best known for his book, Negro Business and Business Education: Their Present and Prospective Development. He was also a member of several important groups. These included Sigma Xi, Beta Kappa Chi, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He was also part of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, the American Statistical Association, and the National Institute of Science. Other groups he joined were the Texas State Teachers Association, the American Mathematical Society, and the National Education Association.