Lee Lorch
Encyclopedia
Lee Lorch is a mathematician
and was an early civil rights
activist, who is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at York University
in Toronto, Canada.
and graduated from Cornell University
in 1935 and obtained his PhD in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati
in 1941.
He did mathematically related work for the war effort in a "draft exempt" job but quit in 1943 to enlist in the United States Army
. He saw service in India and the Pacific Theater
of World War II
before being demobilized in 1946.
Lorch obtained a teaching position at the City College of New York
following the war but was soon fired because of his civil rights work on behalf of African-Americans.
Some time after taking up his job at City College, he moved into Stuyvesant Town
, a development owned by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company built with financial and legal support from New York City for war veterans. Outraged at the development's "No Negroes" policy, Lorch became a vice-chair of a tenant's committee formed to eliminate this discrimination. This had two-thirds support from the other tenants. City College, though conceding the excellence of his work, dismissed Lorch, refusing to give any reason. Lorch obtained a new position at Penn State University, but rather than give up his apartment he asked a black friend and his family to move into his dwelling as "guests", a move which circumvented the policy against accepting housing applications from blacks, but which also resulted in his being fired from Penn State, as reported in the New York Times on April 10, 1950. An editorial in the New York Times on April 11 recalled the suspicious nature of his dismissal from City College the previous year, and called upon Penn State to reconsider, to no avail.
"It's hard to imagine now, but there was no civil rights legislation back then. You could be fired without explanation. But how could you do anything else, in all good conscience?" said Lorch.
, a black college located in Tennessee
, in 1950.
In 1951, he protested when the Mathematical Association of America
held a regional meeting in a "whites only" Nashville
, Tennessee
hotel which would not admit black members of the association.
after he and his wife, Grace
, attempted to enroll their daughter, Alice, in an all-black elementary school after the United States Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education
that school segregation was unconstitutional. The Committee's questioning immediately went in a political direction: though Lorch "pointedly denied" engaging in any Communist activity during his tenure at Fisk, he refused to answer questions about his party membership prior to 1941, citing the right to do so under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
. His refusal to testify before HUAC resulted in his being indicted, tried and acquitted for contempt of Congress–nevertheless, during the House of Un-American Activities Committee hearing Fisk University's president, Charles S. Johnson, issued a statement that Lorch's position before the HUAC was "for all practical purposes tantamount to admission of membership in the Communist Party." Despite the appeals on Lorch's behalf from 48 out of 70 staff members, 22 student body leaders, and 150 alumni, Fisk ended his contract.
, a small black college in Little Rock
, Arkansas
. That year, he and his wife, Grace, helped escort the Little Rock Nine
, nine high school students attempting to be the first black students to enroll at Little Rock Central High School against white segregationist opposition that was so ferocious his wife had to save a 15 year-old black girl from a mob. Faced with threats and sticks of dynamite left in their garage and with the school's funding at risk, Lorch resigned and was again forced to look for new employment.
by most US universities, Lorch accepted a position with the University of Alberta
and moved his family to Canada. He moved to York University
in Toronto
in 1968 and taught there until his retirement in 1985. He still maintains an office at York and, in 2007, was collaborating with Martin Muldoon on a paper about Bessel functions.
.
He has been recognized for his academic work with a fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada
, election to the councils of the Canadian Mathematical Society
, the American Mathematical Society
and the Royal Society of Canada
.
Two of the colleges that fired him, Fisk and City University, have awarded Lorch with honorary degrees. He was also honored by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
in 1990 and by Spelman College
. In 2003, the International Society for Analysis, its Applications and Computation presented him with an honorary life membership for distinguished mathematical contributions and for his struggles for the disadvantaged and world peace.
In 2007, Lorch was awarded with the Mathematical Association of America
's Yueh-Gin Gung and Dr. Charles Y. Hu Distinguished Service to Mathematics Award and he was the first Canadian to be elected to the Cuban Academy of Sciences
.
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and was an early civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist, who is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in Toronto, Canada.
Background
He was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and graduated from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1935 and obtained his PhD in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
in 1941.
He did mathematically related work for the war effort in a "draft exempt" job but quit in 1943 to enlist in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He saw service in India and the Pacific Theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
before being demobilized in 1946.
Lorch obtained a teaching position at the City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
following the war but was soon fired because of his civil rights work on behalf of African-Americans.
Stuyvesant Town
"I had become very aware of racism through the war; not just anti-Semitism, but the way the American army treated black soldiers. On the troop transport overseas, it was always the black company on board that had to clean the ship and do the dirty work, and I felt very uncomfortable with that', Lorch told an interviewer in 2007.Some time after taking up his job at City College, he moved into Stuyvesant Town
Stuyvesant Town
Stuyvesant Town—Peter Cooper Village is a large private residential development on the East Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, and one of the most iconic and successful post-World War II private housing communities...
, a development owned by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company built with financial and legal support from New York City for war veterans. Outraged at the development's "No Negroes" policy, Lorch became a vice-chair of a tenant's committee formed to eliminate this discrimination. This had two-thirds support from the other tenants. City College, though conceding the excellence of his work, dismissed Lorch, refusing to give any reason. Lorch obtained a new position at Penn State University, but rather than give up his apartment he asked a black friend and his family to move into his dwelling as "guests", a move which circumvented the policy against accepting housing applications from blacks, but which also resulted in his being fired from Penn State, as reported in the New York Times on April 10, 1950. An editorial in the New York Times on April 11 recalled the suspicious nature of his dismissal from City College the previous year, and called upon Penn State to reconsider, to no avail.
"It's hard to imagine now, but there was no civil rights legislation back then. You could be fired without explanation. But how could you do anything else, in all good conscience?" said Lorch.
Moving South
After being fired by Penn State, Lorch obtained a teaching position at Fisk UniversityFisk University
Fisk University is an historically black university founded in 1866 in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. The world-famous Fisk Jubilee Singers started as a group of students who performed to earn enough money to save the school at a critical time of financial shortages. They toured to raise funds to...
, a black college located in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, in 1950.
In 1951, he protested when the Mathematical Association of America
Mathematical Association of America
The Mathematical Association of America is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists;...
held a regional meeting in a "whites only" Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
hotel which would not admit black members of the association.
House Un-American Activities Committee
In 1955, Lorch was called before the House Un-American Activities CommitteeHouse Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities or House Un-American Activities Committee was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives. In 1969, the House changed the committee's name to "House Committee on Internal Security"...
after he and his wife, Grace
Grace Lorch
Grace Lonergan Lorch was a teacher and civil rights activist best known for her work as a white escort for the Little Rock Nine....
, attempted to enroll their daughter, Alice, in an all-black elementary school after the United States Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
that school segregation was unconstitutional. The Committee's questioning immediately went in a political direction: though Lorch "pointedly denied" engaging in any Communist activity during his tenure at Fisk, he refused to answer questions about his party membership prior to 1941, citing the right to do so under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
. His refusal to testify before HUAC resulted in his being indicted, tried and acquitted for contempt of Congress–nevertheless, during the House of Un-American Activities Committee hearing Fisk University's president, Charles S. Johnson, issued a statement that Lorch's position before the HUAC was "for all practical purposes tantamount to admission of membership in the Communist Party." Despite the appeals on Lorch's behalf from 48 out of 70 staff members, 22 student body leaders, and 150 alumni, Fisk ended his contract.
Little Rock Nine
In 1957, Lorch was working as chair of the Mathematics Department at Philander Smith CollegePhilander Smith College
Philander Smith College is a private, historically black college that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It is located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The student body averages around 850 attendees, with around 30% of that figure attending part time. Although known historically as a school...
, a small black college in Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. That year, he and his wife, Grace, helped escort the Little Rock Nine
Little Rock Nine
The Little Rock Nine was a group of African-American students who were enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. The ensuing Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school by Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, and then...
, nine high school students attempting to be the first black students to enroll at Little Rock Central High School against white segregationist opposition that was so ferocious his wife had to save a 15 year-old black girl from a mob. Faced with threats and sticks of dynamite left in their garage and with the school's funding at risk, Lorch resigned and was again forced to look for new employment.
Move to Canada
In 1959, facing a blacklistBlacklist
A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle...
by most US universities, Lorch accepted a position with the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
and moved his family to Canada. He moved to York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1968 and taught there until his retirement in 1985. He still maintains an office at York and, in 2007, was collaborating with Martin Muldoon on a paper about Bessel functions.
Academic work and recognition
In his academic work, Lorch focused on several subfields of classical analysis such as summability theory, Fourier analysis, ordinary differential equations and real analysisReal analysis
Real analysis, is a branch of mathematical analysis dealing with the set of real numbers and functions of a real variable. In particular, it deals with the analytic properties of real functions and sequences, including convergence and limits of sequences of real numbers, the calculus of the real...
.
He has been recognized for his academic work with a fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
, election to the councils of the Canadian Mathematical Society
Canadian Mathematical Society
The Canadian Mathematical Society is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and education in Canada.It was originally conceived in June 1945 as the Canadian Mathematical Congress...
, the American Mathematical Society
American Mathematical Society
The American Mathematical Society is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, which it does with various publications and conferences as well as annual monetary awards and prizes to mathematicians.The society is one of the...
and the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
.
Two of the colleges that fired him, Fisk and City University, have awarded Lorch with honorary degrees. He was also honored by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 1990 and by Spelman College
Spelman College
Spelman College is a four-year liberal arts women's college located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The college is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman was the first historically black female...
. In 2003, the International Society for Analysis, its Applications and Computation presented him with an honorary life membership for distinguished mathematical contributions and for his struggles for the disadvantaged and world peace.
In 2007, Lorch was awarded with the Mathematical Association of America
Mathematical Association of America
The Mathematical Association of America is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists;...
's Yueh-Gin Gung and Dr. Charles Y. Hu Distinguished Service to Mathematics Award and he was the first Canadian to be elected to the Cuban Academy of Sciences
Cuban Academy of Sciences
The Academy of Sciences of Cuba , founded on May 19, 1861 with its headquarters in the National Capitol building in Havana, is Cuba's Academy of Sciences...
.
Legacy
Lorch's legacy as a teacher at black universities such as Fisk and Philander Smith was to encourage black students including black women to pursue graduate study in mathematics. Of the 21 American black women who obtained a PhD in mathematics before 1980, Lorch taught three during his tenure at Fisk University.External links
- "A New Light on a Fight to Integrate Stuyvesant Town", New York Times, November 21, 2010 (interview with Lee Lorch)
- A Conversation with Lee Lorch
- "A Life in Sum", profile of Lee Lorch published in Cornell Alumni, July 9, 2009
- CBC Metro Morning interview with Lee Lorch, January 9, 2006