Thyrsa Frazier Svager facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thyrsa Frazier Svager
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Thyrsa Anne Frazier
June 16, 1930 |
| Died | July 23, 1999 (aged 69) |
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Thyrsa Anne Frazier Svager (born June 16, 1930 – died July 23, 1999) was an amazing American teacher and leader. She was one of the very first African-American women to earn a PhD degree in mathematics.
Thyrsa was born in Ohio and finished high school when she was just 16. She went to Antioch College and then earned her advanced degrees from Ohio State University. For many years, she led the math department at Central State University (CSU) in Ohio. Later, she became a top leader at the university, helping to guide its academic programs.
Thyrsa and her husband, Aleksandar Svager, who was a physics professor, saved one of their salaries throughout their careers. They did this to create a special fund for scholarships. After Thyrsa passed away, the Thyrsa Frazier Svager Fund was started. This fund helps African-American women who want to study mathematics in college.
Early Life and School
Thyrsa Anne Frazier was born on June 16, 1930, in a town called Wilberforce, Ohio. Her mother, Elizabeth Anne Frazier, taught speech at Central State University (CSU). This is a special university that was created for Black students. Thyrsa's father, G. Thurston Frazier, worked at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. He was in charge of the Logistics Department there. Thyrsa had three sisters, Gail, Constance, and Jane, and one brother, William.
Thyrsa finished high school at Wilberforce University Preparatory Academy in 1947. She was only 16 years old. She was the best student in her class, which is called the valedictorian.
She then went to Antioch College, a private college in Ohio. She studied mathematics and also learned a lot about chemistry. She was one of only four Black students at Antioch. One of her friends there was Coretta Scott King, who later became famous as the wife of Martin Luther King Jr.
Thyrsa earned her first college degree (Bachelor of Arts) from Antioch in 1951. She then went to Ohio State University (OSU) to continue her studies. She earned her master's degree in 1952 and her PhD in 1965. A PhD is the highest degree you can get in a subject. Her special research paper for her PhD was about "transformations of measure spaces."
Her Career
After college, Thyrsa Svager worked for a year at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Then, she taught at Texas Southern University in Houston. In 1954, she joined the teachers at Central State University (CSU) in Wilberforce.
In 1967, Thyrsa Svager became the head of the mathematics department at CSU. This meant she was in charge of all the math classes and teachers. In 1970, she was given tenure. This means she had a permanent job at the university and could not be easily fired.
She spent a summer in Washington D.C. in 1966 working at NASA. NASA is the space agency that sends rockets and astronauts into space. In 1969, she was a visiting teacher at MIT, which is a very famous science and technology school. In 1985, she went back to OSU for more advanced studies.
When she retired in 1993, she was the provost and vice president for academic affairs. This means she was one of the highest leaders at the university, overseeing all the teaching and learning programs. In 1995, she even came back for a short time to be the Interim President of CSU.
Thyrsa Svager cared a lot about helping students get scholarships. She was the president of a local group called MOLES, which gave money to college students. She was also a member of several important math groups, like the National Association of Mathematicians. She helped start the National Association of Mathematics in 1969.
She also wrote two books to help students learn math. One was called CSU's Modern Elementary Algebra Workbook (1969), and the other was Essential Mathematics for College Freshmen (1976).
Her Family Life
While teaching at CSU, Thyrsa met Aleksandar Svager. He was a physics professor at the university and had survived the Holocaust in Yugoslavia. They got married in June 1968 at her parents' home.
Thyrsa Frazier Svager passed away on July 23, 1999.
Helping Others
Both Thyrsa and Aleksandar were university professors who really believed in the power of education. They decided to live on just one of their salaries and save the other. They invested this money to create a scholarship fund.
After Thyrsa died, her husband started the Thyrsa Frazier Svager Fund. This fund helps African-American women who are studying mathematics at six different universities. By February 2017, 33 young women had received help from this fund. Money is also given every year to a scholarship for minority students through the American Physical Society.
Awards and Honors
When Thyrsa Svager retired, Central State University gave her an honorary degree called a Doctor of Humane Letters. This was to honor her amazing work and contributions. She was also added to the Hall of Fame in Greene County, Ohio, where she lived.
See also
In Spanish: Thyrsa Frazier Svager para niños
