Mina Rees
Encyclopedia
Mina Spiegel Rees was an American mathematician. She was the first female President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(1971) and head of the mathematics department
of the Office of Naval Research
of the United States.
in New York City. She graduated Summa cum Laude with a math major at Hunter College
in 1923. She received a masters in mathematics from Columbia University
in 1925. At that time
she was told unofficially that "the Columbia mathematics department was not really interested
in having women candidates for Ph.D's". She started teaching at Hunter College then took a sabbatical
to study for the doctorate at the University of Chicago
in 1929. She earned her doctorate in 1931
with a thesis on "Division algebras associated with an equation whose group has four generators," published in the American Journal of Mathematics, Vol 54 (Jan. 1932), 51-65. Her advisor was Leonard Dickson.
1932-1940 Assistant Professor at Hunter College.
1940 Associate Professor at Hunter College
World War II: Technical Aide/Executive Assistant with the Applied Mathematics Panel at Office of Scientific Research and Development.
1947 ACM
Council member
1945-1951 Head of Mathematics branch at the Office of Naval Research
1952-1953 Depute Science Director for the Office of Naval Research.
1953-1961 Dean of Faculty at Hunter College
1961-1967 Full Professor and First Dean of Graduate Studies at City University of New York
1967-1969 Provost of the Graduate School and University Center at CUNY.
1969-1972 President of the Graduate School and University Center at CUNY
1971 First Woman president of the AAAS
This award was made "for outstanding service to mathematics, other than mathematical research" and for "contributions [that] influence significantly the field of mathematics or mathematical education on a national scale."
In 1983 Rees was awarded the Public Welfare Medal
from the National Academy of Sciences
"for her contributions to the scientific enterprise, especially in mathematics, astronomy, and computer sciences, from wartime, through the transition from war to peace, and continuing today."
Kings Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom (Britain) and the President's Certificate of Merit (USA) for her important contributions during World War II.
AAAS Presidential Address: Mina Rees, "The Saga of American Universities: The Role of Science," Science (5 January 1973) 179:19-23.
"On the solution of nonlinear hyperbolic differential equations by finite differences", with Richard Courant
and E. Isaacson,
Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics
5 (1952) 243-255.
"The federal computing machine program" Science 112 (1950) 731-736.
Williams' book focuses on the lives and contributions of four notable women: Mary Sears (1905-1997); Florence van Straten (1913-1992); Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992); Mina Spiegel Rees (1902-1997).
President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science , founded in 1848, is the world's largest general scientific society. It serves 262 affiliated societies and academies of science and engineering, representing 10 million individuals worldwide...
(1971) and head of the mathematics department
of the Office of Naval Research
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
of the United States.
Education
She was valedictorian at Hunter College High SchoolHunter College High School
Hunter College High School is a New York City secondary school for intellectually gifted students located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. It is administered by Hunter College, a senior college of the City University of New York. Although it is not operated by the New York City Department of...
in New York City. She graduated Summa cum Laude with a math major at Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
in 1923. She received a masters in mathematics from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1925. At that time
she was told unofficially that "the Columbia mathematics department was not really interested
in having women candidates for Ph.D's". She started teaching at Hunter College then took a sabbatical
to study for the doctorate at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1929. She earned her doctorate in 1931
with a thesis on "Division algebras associated with an equation whose group has four generators," published in the American Journal of Mathematics, Vol 54 (Jan. 1932), 51-65. Her advisor was Leonard Dickson.
Career
1925-1932 Instructor at Hunter College (on leave 1929-1931 while earning a doctorate)1932-1940 Assistant Professor at Hunter College.
1940 Associate Professor at Hunter College
World War II: Technical Aide/Executive Assistant with the Applied Mathematics Panel at Office of Scientific Research and Development.
1947 ACM
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
Council member
1945-1951 Head of Mathematics branch at the Office of Naval Research
1952-1953 Depute Science Director for the Office of Naval Research.
1953-1961 Dean of Faculty at Hunter College
1961-1967 Full Professor and First Dean of Graduate Studies at City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
1967-1969 Provost of the Graduate School and University Center at CUNY.
1969-1972 President of the Graduate School and University Center at CUNY
1971 First Woman president of the AAAS
AAAS
AAAS may refer to:* American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an organization dedicated to scholarship and the advancement of learning* American Association for the Advancement of Science, an organization that promotes cooperation between scientists...
Honors
Award for Distinguished Service to Mathematics in 1962 from the Mathematical Association of America.This award was made "for outstanding service to mathematics, other than mathematical research" and for "contributions [that] influence significantly the field of mathematics or mathematical education on a national scale."
In 1983 Rees was awarded the Public Welfare Medal
Public Welfare Medal
The Public Welfare Medal is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences "in recognition of distinguished contributions in the application of science to the public welfare." It is the most prestigious honor conferred by the Academy...
from the 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...
"for her contributions to the scientific enterprise, especially in mathematics, astronomy, and computer sciences, from wartime, through the transition from war to peace, and continuing today."
Kings Medal for Service in the Cause of Freedom (Britain) and the President's Certificate of Merit (USA) for her important contributions during World War II.
AAAS Presidential Address: Mina Rees, "The Saga of American Universities: The Role of Science," Science (5 January 1973) 179:19-23.
Notable Publications
"Division algebras associated with an equation whose group has four generators," published in American Journal of Mathematics, Vol 54 (Jan. 1932), 51-65."On the solution of nonlinear hyperbolic differential equations by finite differences", with Richard Courant
Richard Courant
Richard Courant was a German American mathematician.- Life :Courant was born in Lublinitz in the German Empire's Prussian Province of Silesia. During his youth, his parents had to move quite often, to Glatz, Breslau, and in 1905 to Berlin. He stayed in Breslau and entered the university there...
and E. Isaacson,
Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics
Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics
Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics is a scientific journal which is associated with the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. It publishes original research originating from or solicited by the institute, typically in the fields of applied mathematics, mathematical analysis, or...
5 (1952) 243-255.
"The federal computing machine program" Science 112 (1950) 731-736.
External links
- http://www.agnesscott.edu/Lriddle/women/rees.htm
- http://www.ams.org/notices/199807/memorial-rees.pdf
- http://archives.aaas.org/people.php?p_id=175
- http://www.ams.org/notices/199807/memorial-rees.pdf
Further reading
Improbable Warriors: Women Scientists and the U.S. Navy in World War II. Kathleen Broome Williams, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 2001, 280 pages. ISBN 9781557509611 .Williams' book focuses on the lives and contributions of four notable women: Mary Sears (1905-1997); Florence van Straten (1913-1992); Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992); Mina Spiegel Rees (1902-1997).