Winifred Edgerton Merrill facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Winifred Edgerton Merrill
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| Born | September 24, 1862 |
| Died | September 6, 1951 (aged 88) |
| Nationality | United States |
| Alma mater | Wellesley College (BA) Columbia University (PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics, astronomy |
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Winifred Edgerton (September 24, 1862 – September 6, 1951) was an amazing American mathematician. She was born in Ripon, Wisconsin. Winifred made history by becoming the first woman to earn a degree from Columbia University. She was also the first American woman to get a PhD in mathematics. In 1886, she received her PhD with high honors from Columbia University.
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Winifred's Early Life and Education
Winifred Haring Edgerton was born on September 24, 1862, in Ripon, Wisconsin. Her parents, Clara and Emmett Edgerton, even built a small observatory at their home for her. This shows how much they supported her interest in science.
Winifred earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), from Wellesley College in 1883. After graduating, she taught at Sylvanus Reed's School for a while. She loved astronomy and used data from the Harvard observatory. With this data, she calculated the path of the Pons-Brooks comet of 1883.
Studying at Columbia University
Winifred wanted to use the telescope at Columbia University. At that time, Columbia was only for male students. On February 4, 1884, the university's leaders agreed to let her use their telescope. They called her an "exceptional case." They also told her not to bother the male students. She had to work as an assistant in the observatory.
She studied math and astronomy at Columbia. Her teachers included famous professors like John Krom Rees and J. Howard Van Amringe.
Earning Her PhD in Mathematics
Winifred first asked to receive a degree from Columbia, but her request was turned down. The university president, Frederick A. P. Barnard, advised her to talk to each leader individually. She did this, and it worked!
At the next meeting, she was awarded her PhD in 1886. The vote was unanimous, meaning everyone agreed. This was a huge achievement for a woman at that time. Her thesis was about complex math topics like "Multiple Integrals."
Her graduation was a big event. Newspaper reports said there was a "terrible round of applause" when she received her diploma. The students cheered for about two minutes!
Winifred's Career and Contributions
After getting her PhD, Winifred taught mathematics for several years. She was offered a job as a math professor at Wellesley College. However, she decided not to take it because she planned to marry Frederick Merrill in 1887.
Frederick Merrill also graduated from Columbia. He later became a state geologist for New York. Winifred and Frederick had four children together.
Helping to Found Barnard College
Winifred was part of a group that asked Columbia University to create a new college. This effort led to the founding of Barnard College in 1889. Barnard College became the first non-religious school in New York to give women a liberal arts degree. This was a big step for women's education.
Founding Oaksmere School for Girls
In 1906, Winifred Edgerton Merrill started her own school called the Oaksmere School for Girls. She ran the school until 1928. The school first opened in New Rochelle, then moved to her estate in Mamaroneck. She even opened a branch in Paris, France, called Oaksmere Abroad, in 1912.
Winifred also helped pay for the American team that went to the first international track meet for women. This event was held in Paris in 1922.
She wrote and spoke a lot about education. She also served as a trustee for Wellesley College. In 1919, she created a system to "translate" signatures into music. Later in her life, from 1948 to 1951, Winifred worked as a librarian.
On the 50th anniversary of her graduation from Wellesley, a portrait of Winifred Edgerton Merrill was given to Columbia University. It hangs in one of the academic buildings. The inscription on the portrait says, "She opened the door." This shows how important her work was for women in education.
Images for kids
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Winifred Edgerton Merrill's signature.
See also
In Spanish: Winifred Edgerton Merrill para niños
