Mathematics Department

"The Mathematics Department dates back to the original Charter from King William and Queen Mary on February 6, 1693. Mathematics was represented by one of the six Masters or Professors, and when the full faculty was assembled in 1729, the original masterships were in Divinity, Philosophy, Oriental Languages, Mathematics, the Grammar School and the Indian School."[1]

Professors

The first appointed professor of mathematics at William & Mary was Tanaquil Le Fevere in 1711. His official title was "Professor of Philosophy and Mathematics." Le Fevere did stay long at William and Mary due to some immoral proprieties. In 1717, Rev. Hugh Jones became the second professor of philosophy and mathematics. (Stetson)

Mathematics welcomed its first female professor in 1925. Professor Beulah Russell began her tenure at William and Mary as an Assistant Professor. She taught at the College for fifteen years, until her death in February 1940. [2] While Professor Russell was the first female professor, the College employed two female instructors in mathematics, Elizabeth Berger (1922-1925) and Elizabeth Mercer (1925-1926). (Stetson)

Curriculum

The book The College of William and Mary: A History (Susan H. Godson, et al., 1993) provides an overview of William and Mary's curriculum throughout its history. Another helpful source would be to pursue research of professors who taught mathematics including Hugh Jones.

References

• Mathematics Department webpage, http://web.wm.edu/mathematics/?fetchid=6455, accessed 19 February 2009.
• John Minor Stetson, "Mathematics at William and Mary," Alumni Gazette 9.4 (1942): 8-9, 31-32. Mathematics, University Archives Subject File Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, William & Mary.
• "Beulah Russell Death Mourned by College," The Flat Hat, February 27, 1940. The Flat Hat online archive, http://www.swem.wm.edu/beta/flathat/issues/fh19400227.pdf#search=%22Mathematics%20department%22, accessed 9 April 2009.

Material in the Special Collections Research Center

• Dept. of Mathematics in the SCRC database.
• Department of Mathematics Records, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, William & Mary.
• "Curriculum--Mathematics," University Archives Subject File Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Earl Gregg Swem Library, William & Mary.
• Various administrative office records including the Dean of Arts and Sciences, Office of the Provost, etc. See the SCRC Collections Database.
• Results for the subject heading Mathematics--Study and Teaching.
• Results for the subject heading [http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/index.php?p=core/search&subjectid=1847

and Mathematics--Study and Teaching--History].

• Catalogs.
• Flat Hat.
• Colonial Echo.
• Guide for conducting research related to the College of William & Mary

Need help?

To search for further material, visit the Special Collections Research Center's Search Tool List for an overview of the Special Collections Database, W&M Digital Archive, Flat Hat-William & Mary News-Alumni Gazette index, card catalogs, and other tools available to help you find material of interest in William & Mary Libraries Special Collections Research Center.

Questions? Contact the Special Collections Research Center at spcoll@wm.edu or 757-221-3090, or visit the Special Collections Research Center in the Earl Gregg Swem Library at William & Mary.

A Note About The Contents Of This Wiki

The information available in this wiki is the best available from known documents and sources at the time it was written. Unfortunately, many of the early original records of William & Mary were destroyed by fires, military occupation, and the normal effects of time. Information in this wiki is not complete as new information continues to be uncovered in Swem Library's Special Collections Research Center and elsewhere. Researchers are strongly encouraged to use the Special Collections search tools for their research as the information contained in this wiki is by no means comprehensive.