Who Is Elbert Frank Cox?

While Cox did not live to see the inauguration of the Ph.D. program at Howard, it is believed by many that Cox did much to make it possible. Cox helped to build up the department to the point that the Ph.D. program became a practical next step. He gave the department a great deal of credibility; primarily because of this personal prestige as a mathematician, as being the first Black to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics, because of the nature and kinds of appointments to the faculty that were made while he chaired the Department, and because of the kinds of students that he attracted to Howard to study mathematics at both the undergraduate and master's

program. Cox was the first African American to earn the degree ever. In 1925 Cox was teaching once again. He became the head of the mathematics and physics department at West Virginia State College which was an all black school at the time. In 1927 Cox married Beulah P. Kaufman, An elementary school teacher. They had three sons named Elbert, James, and Eugene. After doing four years of teaching Cox moved to Washington D.C., and joined the faculty at Howard University eventually becoming mathematics department chair in 1947 up until 1961 at the age of 65. Cox had to stepped down due to department age rules. He then joined Howard University staff as a professor and advising numerous successful master’s degree candidates in mathematics. He remained there until retirement which was 1966. In 1969 on November 28, Elbert Frank Cox died due to illness at the age of 73. Although he did not live to see his

A few years later George decided to leave the Carver's and go on with his education. He set out and ended upon the farm of a family, Christopher and Mariah Watson, who became his foster parents. While under the Watson's care, George attended the colored school of Neosho. From age 10, his thirst for knowledge and desire for formal education led him to several communities in Missouri and Kansas Later he moved to Fort Scott, Kansas to attend High school. In 1890, to Indiana, Iowa were he enrolled at Simpson College to study piano and painting. In 1891 he got admission in Iowa State University and gained his BS in 1894 and MS in 1897 in "Bacterial Botany" and "Agriculture". Meanwhile he also took art and piano lessons. In 1894, Carver qualified for an opening, in Iowa, on the faculty as assistant botanist in the experiment station. Carver devoted special attention to bacterial laboratory work in systematic botany. He also collaborated with Dr. Pammell, an eminent botanist, on two publications: Treatment of Currants and Cherries to Prevent Spot Diseases, and Fungus Diseases of Plants at Ames. In 1985, Dr., as he was known as, George Washington Carver was sent a request asking him to accept the Chair of Agriculture at the Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College in Westside Mississippi. While in Mississippi George really learned about Jim Crowism through the people

Charles attended Amherst College in Massaschusetts on a scholarship. He was named an all-American halfback and won the Thomas W. Ashley Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player on Amherst's football team. He graduated in 1926 and received the Howard Hill Mossman trophy for his outstanding contributions to Amherst sports. Drew was always interested in science and wanted to pursue a medical career. He attended medical school at

Elroy Berdahl was more than just a bald old man who lived in a cabin, but rather the person O’Brien needed the most. At the time, O’Brien finds out he was drafted and was scared for his life. O’Brien decided to go to Canada and ends up staying in a cabin which would forever change his life. Elroy represented a safe place for O’Brien because Elroy took him under his wing with no problem. O’Brien carried the weight of a decision that can forever change his life, a decision that would slowly drive him insane. O’Brien never directly told Elroy his situation, but Elroy understood and avoided influencing O’Brien’s decision in anyway. O’Brien’s definition of courage in this chapter was to to jump off the boat and swim to Canada. What stopped O’Brien

Elbert Frank Cox was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. As of today he receives a little recognition as he did back in his days. Yet some may ask: How was his early life? What were his mathematical achievements? Although many African American men made contributions to the mathematical world like the self taught Benjamin Banneker(d.1806), the first African American to teach in a predominantly white college Charles Lewis Reason(d.1893), the first African American to attend John Hopkins University Kelly Miller(d.1939), and many more great African American mathematicians. Elbert Frank Cox was a phenomenal African American mathematician and pioneer

Marie Maynard Daly was born on April 16,1921 she was the first black african american women to earn a PHD in chemistry.Marie Maynard was was raised and born in corona queens.she lived at a home to save money, majored in chemistry,and graduated from queens magna cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1942.

In 1945, World War II was raging. So, Robert joined the U.S. Navy shortly before graduation. In 1948, Robert left the Navy and attended college. In 1950, Robert began Southwestern Medical School f the University of Texas and Dallas, to become a doctor. During school, Robert met a nurse named Mary Strasburger.

He also had a passion for the violin. Prague Conservatory in Bohemia offered a scholarship, but decided to pursue mathematics in Indiana University. In the Indiana University where he took courses German, English, Latin, History, Hygiene, Chemistry, Education, Philosophy, and Physics. Mathematics was his gift and students were required to take 7, 10, 12, and 13 to complete a major in mathematics. Courses 7, 10, and 12, the three courses that were assigned college algebra, trigonometry, and analytic geometry and courses 10, which was Advanced Calculus. All of these courses are noticed today. The final course in the list, was course 13 which was Different Equations. Once all of these courses were completed by the students, they were qualified to teach mathematics in a high school. In just two years Cox took all the required courses except courses 10 and 13. The grades he earned were A’s in Mathematics, received C’s and B’s in other courses. On March 15, 1915 he joined the Euclidean Circle with 13 other students. By his senior year he joined the Physic Club and also served as secretary. Avalon his brother also joined the Physics Club that year. Elbert Frank Cox completed 129 hours in his four years and with a GPA of 3.35 and a 4.0 mathematics. In 1917, he earned his bachelor’s degree with three other African American students in his class. As one researcher notes in the

Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois earned a Ph.D. at Harvard, the first of his race to do so; demanded complete equality for blacks; helped to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1910.

During the time period of the 19th century, an HBCUs main duty was to teach freed slaves how to be literate. Before the Civil War, the greater parts of Blacks in the United States were subjugated. In spite of the fact that a few free Blacks went to predominantly white schools located in the North before the war, such open opportunities were uncommon and did not prevail in the slave conditions of the South. It was not until the mid-1900s that HBCUs started to present courses and projects at the postsecondary level. During the

Born December 5, 1895, Elbert Frank Cox earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Indiana. In 1925, he became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. He taught for 40 years at West Virginia State College and Howard University. After he retired, Howard established a scholarship fund in Cox's name to encourage future Black mathematicians. Elbert Frank Cox was born on December 5, 1895 in Evansville, Indiana. After graduating from Indiana University in 1917, Cox served in World War I and then pursued a career in teaching. In 1925, he earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from Cornell University, becoming the first African American to earn the degree in the United States and, in fact, the world. After earning his degree,

professor of mathematics. She taught at the District of Columbia Teachers College for which she

Elijah McCoy was borned in Colchester, Ontario, Canada may 2, 1844 and died in october 10, 1929 at the age of 86. His place in history was in Entrepreneur Engineering Inventor. He was knew for the 19th century African American inventing lubrication devices used for making trains travel more efficiently.

He loved the school and his classes, so he studied hard. He graduated in 1885, with honors, 20th in his class of 130. (Webb 15-19)