Louise Hay (mathematician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louise Hay
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Louise Hay in December 1986
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| Born |
Louise Szmir
June 14, 1935 |
| Died | 28 October 1989 (aged 54) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Louise Schmir Hay Louise Larson |
| Occupation | Mathematician |
| Years active | 1960–1989 |
| Spouse(s) |
John Hay
(m. 1955; div. 1968)Richard Larson
(m. 1970) |
Louise Hay (born June 14, 1935 – died October 28, 1989) was a very important mathematician from France who later became an American citizen. She studied special types of number sets and how complex math problems can be solved. Her ideas were very important to mathematicians in both the Soviet Union and the United States in the 1970s.
Louise Hay made history when she became the head of the math department at the University of Illinois at Chicago. At that time, she was the only woman leading a math department at a major research university.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Louise Schmir was born in Metz, France, on June 14, 1935. Her parents were Marjem and Samuel Szmir. Sadly, her mother passed away in 1938. Her family was of Polish-Jewish background. Because of World War II, they had to leave their home. They moved to Switzerland in 1944 and then to New York City in 1946. In New York, they changed their last name to Schmir.
Louise went to William Taft High School in the Bronx. She was a very bright student. In her last year, she won a special science award. She was also the top student in her graduating class. After high school, Louise went to Swarthmore College.
College and Early Career
In 1955, during her junior year of college, Louise married John Hay. She finished her bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1956. She then started studying for her master's degree at Cornell University. When her husband moved to Oberlin College, she went with him.
Louise finished her master's work in math logic at Oberlin. Cornell University awarded her master's degree in 1959. After that, she taught at Oberlin for a year. She also worked at the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in Buffalo, New York.
Advanced Studies and Research
Louise followed her husband again when he moved to Boston. She worked at Mount Holyoke College for three years. In 1963, after her first son was born, she went back to Cornell to get her doctorate degree. She had twin sons in 1964.
Louise earned her PhD in 1965. Her research helped to advance important ideas in math. In 1966, she received a special research grant from the National Science Foundation. She used this grant to do research at MIT from 1966 to 1968.
Life in Chicago and Later Achievements
In 1968, Louise divorced and moved to Chicago. She became a professor at the University of Illinois. In 1970, she married another mathematician, Richard Larson. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1974. In 1975, she became a full professor.
Throughout the 1970s, Louise published many important papers. Her work focused on how to understand and solve complex math problems. She also came up with a new idea called the "weak jump." This idea helped to explain different ways to solve problems that computers might face.
Louise's work was very important to mathematicians in both the United States and the Soviet Union. She also helped start the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM). This group aimed to support other women who were working mothers in math.
In 1978, Louise and her husband both won a Fulbright Scholarship. They spent a year studying in the Philippines. In 1979, Louise was named the acting head of the University of Illinois' math department. This was a big achievement, as she was the only woman to lead a math department at a major research university at that time. She was also on the executive board of the AWM from 1980 to 1987. In 1982, she became the secretary of the Association for Symbolic Logic.
Legacy
In 1988, Louise's breast cancer returned. However, she continued to work until she passed away on October 28, 1989, in Oak Park, Illinois.
To honor her contributions to math and her leadership, the AWM created the Louise Hay Award in 1990. This award recognizes women who have made important contributions to mathematics education.
