African American Mathematicians Notable Alumni

Like scientists, Mathematicians too have played a vital role in shaping our world and making it a better place. In a certain way, mathematics has been the backbone of several disciplines of engineering. Many geniuses of African American descent, in particular, are known for their path-breaking accomplishments in the fields of mathematics. African American mathematicians have introduced several changes and useful theorems which have helped in solving complex problems effortlessly. African American mathematicians have been around for a long time, since more than two centuries. For instance, Benjamin Banneker was one such eminent mathematician and scientist who introduced the masses to a wooden clock. It is believed that Banneker had once spotted a wrist watch and tried to replicate the same. Scientist Jesse Ernest Wilkins Jr. became the talk of the town after he became the youngest student to be admitted to the University of Chicago, he was barely 13 at that time. Wilkins has introduced many concepts to the fields of optics and nuclear engineering. Back in 1925, Elbert Frank Cox became the first woman to earn a PhD in Mathematics. As a tribute to this great mathematician, an initiative called Elbert F Cox scholarship fund was started recently to help academically bright Black students. We have listed the names of many eminent mathematicians of African American descent who have made several useful contributions to the field of Mathematics. Maybe not many books and sources on the internet have told you much about them.