Lois Wilfred Griffiths facts for kids

Lois Wilfred Griffiths (born June 27, 1899 – died November 9, 1981) was an American mathematician and teacher. She worked as a researcher and professor at Northwestern University for 37 years. She retired in 1964. Lois Griffiths is best known for her studies on polygonal numbers. She published many papers and wrote a textbook called Introduction to the Theory of Equations in 1945.

Early Life and Education

Her Early Life

Lois Wilfred Griffiths was born on June 27, 1899. Her birthplace was Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Her father, Frederick William Griffiths, was a minister. Her mother, Lena Jones Griffiths, was a schoolteacher.

Frederick Griffiths moved to the United States from Wales in 1880. He earned degrees from Oberlin College and Oberlin Theological Seminary. Lena Jones Griffiths was born in the U.S. and studied at Kansas State Normal School.

In 1898, her parents moved to Ohio. Her brother Harold was born in 1898, and Lois was born in 1899. The family moved to Jennings, Oklahoma Territory, in 1899. They finally settled in Seattle in 1904.

Her Education

Lois Griffiths went to public schools in Washington state. Then she attended the University of Washington. She helped the university's financial office while she was a student.

In 1921, she earned her bachelor's degree. She then earned a master's degree in 1923 from the same university. Her master's paper was called Contact Curves of the Rational Cubic. It was later published by the American Mathematical Society.

In 1925, she started studying for her doctorate degree. She went to the University of Chicago for this. Her supervisor was the famous mathematician Leonard Dickson. She earned her doctorate in 1927. Her research focused on advanced math topics.

Her Career

After getting her doctorate in 1927, Lois Griffiths became a math instructor. She worked at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She spent her entire career there.

She became an assistant professor in 1930. In 1938, she was promoted to associate professor. She retired from Northwestern University in 1964. She was then named professor emeritus, which means she kept her title after retiring.

During her career, she published many math papers. Some of her work appeared in the American Journal of Mathematics. She also published in the Annals of Mathematics. Her research often focused on polygonal numbers. These are numbers that can be arranged to form shapes like triangles or squares.

Lois Griffiths also wrote a math textbook. It was called Introduction to the Theory of Equations. This book was published in 1945. It covered topics like determinants and linear equations.

Personal Life and Passing

Lois Griffiths' mother, Lena, lived with her in Evanston. They lived together from 1945 until her mother passed away in 1956. Lois Griffiths herself passed away on November 9, 1981, in Skokie, Illinois.

Recognition

In 1954, Lois Griffiths was honored by the Northwestern University Alumni Association. She was given a special life membership.