MATHAZINE June 2013 | Page 3

Women in Mathematics

Winifred Edgerton Merrill

First American woman to earn a Ph. D in Mathematics

(1862-1951)

Educations:

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She earned a Bachelors degree in 1883 from Wellesley College located in Massachusetts and a Masters from Harvard the following year.

She graduated from Columbia University in 1886. She graduated cum laude, which means she graduated with honors (high grade point average).

Personal Live:

Married Fredrick James Hamilton Merrill, who received his Ph.D from Columbia in 1890. They had three children.

Merrill was born September 24, 1862 in Ripon, Wisconsin.

Merrill died September 6, 1951 in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Career:

Winifred Edgerton Merrill became a teacher until she married.

Legacy:

In 1887, Columbia statrted to admit women.

In 1906, founded Oaksmere School for Girls in Mamaroneck, New York.

In 1912 opened sister school in Paris, France.

Want to learn more about Winifred Edgerton Merill?

Check out this website:

http://apprendre-math.info/anglais/historyDetail.htm?id=Merrill

Word Problem:

Rod is 24 years younger than his mother. Together their ages total 56 years.

How old is each person?

solution on back page

Resoucces

http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/wohist.html

http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/merrill.htm

Algebra Concepts and Applications Glencoe Mathematics pg 28