Mary Deconge facts for kids

Mary Lovenia DeConge-Watson (born in 1933) is an American mathematician. She was also a nun for some time. She made history as the 15th African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. This is a very high degree in math!

Early Life and Education

Growing Up and School

Mary Lovenia DeConge was born in 1933 in Wickliff, Louisiana. She was one of nine children. When she was 16, she joined a group of nuns called the Sisters of the Holy Family. She later became a nun in the Holy Order of the Sisters of Saint Francis.

Between 1952 and 1955, Mary taught in elementary schools. These were church-run schools in Baton Rouge and Lafayette.

College Years

Mary then went to Seton Hill College. She studied mathematics and French there. She also took classes in English, psychology, and history. She was only the second Black student to attend that school.

After graduating from Seton Hill in 1959, Mary taught French and math. She worked at Holy Ghost School in Opelousas, Louisiana, until 1961.

In 1962, Mary DeConge-Watson earned her master's degree in mathematics. She got this degree from Louisiana State University. She decided to take a break from her studies. She taught at DeLisle Junior College in New Orleans from 1963 to 1964. After that, she began her Ph.D. studies at Tulane University. She studied there for one semester.

Mary faced a long illness during her graduate studies. But she kept going! In 1968, she earned her Ph.D. in mathematics. She also got a minor in French. She received these degrees from St. Louis University. Her special research paper was called 2-Normed Lattices and 2-Metric Spaces.

Career

Teaching and Leadership

While she was studying for her Ph.D., Mary DeConge-Watson also taught. She worked at Holy Ghost High School and DeLisle Junior College. After getting her Ph.D., she became an assistant professor of mathematics. She taught at Loyola University New Orleans from 1968 to 1971.

In 1971, she became an assistant professor at Southern University in Baton Rouge. She worked her way up! In 1982, she became a full professor. Then, in 1986, she was chosen to lead the Department of Mathematics at Southern University. This was a very important job.

Mary spent many years helping elementary school teachers. She trained them for their math exams. She even wrote a special book for this training program.

Later Career and Retirement

From 1995 to 1998, Mary DeConge-Watson was a director. She led the Center for Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology. This center was at Southern University. After a short retirement, she returned to Southern University in different roles. She finally retired completely in 2004.

Mary DeConge-Watson's work has been published in important science journals. These include Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and The Notices of the American Mathematical Society. She is known for her writings about Cauchy's Problem. This is a complex math topic about certain types of equations.

Personal Life

Mary DeConge-Watson left the Sisters of the Holy Family in 1976. She married Roy Watson Sr. in 1983.