María del Carmen Martínez Sancho facts for kids

María del Carmen Martínez Sancho (born in Toledo, Spain, on July 8, 1901 – died in Malaga, Spain, on October 15, 1995) was a very important Spanish mathematician and teacher. She made history by becoming the first woman in Spain to earn a PhD in Mathematics.

Carmen was also the first woman to become a high school mathematics professor in Spain. She was even the first woman chosen to be part of the Board of Extension of Studies at the University of Berlin in Germany. She taught at special schools in Madrid and Seville called Instituto-Escuela.

Early Life and Learning

Carmen Martínez was born in Toledo on July 8, 1901. She was the second of six children in her family. Her father was an engineer, so her family moved around Spain a lot before settling in Madrid.

Her father really wanted his children to get a good education. He believed that boys and girls should have the same opportunities to learn. He supported Carmen when she went to high school classes at the University of Alcalá's Cardenal Cisneros Associated School. There, she became very interested in mathematics and literature. Her parents encouraged her to focus on math. She finished high school on July 1, 1918.

In 1918, Carmen started studying sciences at the Central University of Madrid. She had amazing teachers, like Julio Rey Pastor, who taught her Mathematical Analysis. He became her biggest influence. Carmen was a brilliant student and always got the highest grades.

While she was still a university student, she was asked to teach at the Instituto-Escuela in Madrid. Her younger brothers and sisters went to school there. She taught classes at the same time as she was studying for her degree. She graduated from university on December 7, 1926.

After graduating, she started her advanced studies to earn a doctorate degree. Her supervisor was Julio Rey Pastor, who was the first person to bring the idea of relativity to Spain. Carmen's special research paper was called The concept of function, continuous and semicontinuous functions, and their properties. She earned a special award for her paper and became the first Spanish woman to get a PhD in mathematics.

Her Career as a Teacher

In 1928, Carmen Martínez became a Professor of Mathematics at the High-School Institute of Ferrol. Later, she taught at the El Instituto Femenino Infanta Beatriz.

Studying in Germany

On November 4, 1930, Carmen received a special grant to go to Germany for eight months. She wanted to continue her studies in a field called Multidimensional Geometry. She attended classes at the University of Berlin. She stayed for two extra months, finishing her work on September 2, 1932.

Teaching in Seville

Right after returning to Spain from Germany, Carmen started teaching at the Instituto-Escuela in Seville. She often said that her time in Seville was one of the best parts of her career. While in Seville, she met Alberto Meléndez, who later became her husband. They had a son named Alberto Meléndez Martínez.

Carmen then moved to the Murillo Institute. She taught different grade levels there. In 1939, she was promoted to Professor. Carmen also worked hard to create a canteen at the Institute to provide food for students who needed help. This project faced challenges due to the political changes in Spain at the time.

Her colleague, Patricio Peñalver Bachiller, encouraged her to apply for a university position. In 1957, she was appointed a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Seville.

Back in Madrid

Carmen Martínez retired from the Murillo Institute in 1974. She moved back to Madrid and continued teaching mathematics at the Jesús María School of Vallecas. She always tried to help students from less wealthy backgrounds.

How She Was Honored

To show how much they appreciated her dedication to teaching, the city of Seville named one of its streets in the Santa Justa district after her.

See also

In Spanish: Carmen Martínez Sancho para niños