William Schieffelin Claytor facts for kids

William Schieffelin Claytor (born January 4, 1908, died July 14, 1967) was an amazing American mathematician. He was a pioneer in a field of math called topology, which studies shapes and spaces. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, he made history as one of the first African-Americans to earn a PhD in mathematics. He was also the very first to publish his research in a major math journal!

Claytor's School Days

William Claytor went to public schools in Washington, D.C. He also attended the Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School in Virginia. In 1928, he earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), from Howard University. There, he learned from Elbert Frank Cox, who was the first African-American to get a PhD in math.

Claytor continued his studies at Howard University. He earned his Master of Arts (MA) degree in 1929. His thesis, a big research paper, was guided by Dudley Weldon Woodard. Woodard was the second African-American to get a PhD in mathematics.

Earning His PhD

In 1933, Claytor achieved his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from the University of Pennsylvania. His special research was about how certain shapes, called "Peanian Continua," could be placed on a spherical surface. His professor, John R. Kline, thought Claytor's work was excellent.

In 1934, a paper based on Claytor's PhD work was published in a famous math journal called Annals of Mathematics. This made him the first African-American to publish in such a journal. He published another important paper in the same journal in 1937.

A Career in Math

After getting his PhD, Claytor taught at West Virginia State University for three years. One of his students there was Katherine Johnson, who later became a famous mathematician for NASA and worked on space missions.

It was hard for Claytor to get jobs at many universities because of unfair treatment due to his race during that time. He applied for a special fellowship to work at the Institute for Advanced Study, a top research center. He was turned down because of his race.

In 1937, he received a Rosenwald Fellowship at the University of Michigan. He stayed there for several years. Even then, he faced challenges and was not allowed to attend some important research meetings.

Serving His Country

From 1941 to 1945, Claytor served in the US Army during World War II. He taught in Anti-Aircraft Artillery Schools in Virginia and Georgia.

After the war, in 1947, he joined the math department at Howard University. He taught there until he retired in 1965. He even served as the head of the department for a while.

On August 5, 1947, Claytor married Mae Belle Pullins, who was a psychologist and also loved mathematics. They had one daughter. Throughout his career, even though his work was well-received, he continued to face unfair treatment because of his race. For example, he was not allowed to stay in the same hotels where math conferences were held.

Honoring His Legacy

William Claytor's important contributions to mathematics are still remembered today.

• The National Association of Mathematicians (NAM) has a lecture series named after Claytor and Dudley Woodard.
• The American Mathematical Society (AMS) offers a special research fellowship, the Claytor-Gilmer Fellowship, named after Claytor and another mathematician, Gloria Ford Gilmer.