Talk:Dudley Weldon Woodard

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While observing Dudley Woodard’s page, I noticed first how short it is in length and how minimal it was with content. Dudley Woodard is the second African American to earn a PhD in mathematics. He also published three papers “Loci connected with the problem of two bodies”, “On two dimensional analysis situs with special reference to the Jordan curve theorem”, and lastly, “the characterized of the closed N-cell.”  His second publication appears to be the first research paper published in an accredited mathematics journal by an African American. However, on his wikipedia page only one category is mentioned and that is his “Biography” category. Here are some details that should also be added to his "Biography" section. Upon completing his early education in Texas, Woodard attended Wilberforce College in Ohio, receiving a bachelor degree (A.B.) in mathematics in 1903. Woodard then attended the University of Chicago where he received a B.S. degree and an M.S. degree in mathematics in the years 1906 and 1907 respectively. After receiving his M..S., Woodard taught mathematics at Tuskegee Institute (now University) for seven (7) years [1907 - 1914] and on Wilberforce faculty for six (6) years [1914-1920] after which he joined the mathematics faculty at Howard University in 1920. At Howard, he was not only a professor of mathematics but was selected Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (1920-1929). Woodard devoted his entire professional life to the promotion of excellence in mathematics through the advancement of his students, teaching and research.

Another section to be added should be about how he contributed to mathematics: Dr. Woodard established the M.S. degree program in mathematics in 1929, guaranteeing Howard's mathematical program as the pinacle for studying mathematics among the Historically Black Universities and Colleges. He was the thesis supervisor for many of Howard's M.S. degree students. He also established a mathematics library at Howard. He attracted Elbert Cox to join him in 1929 and he established and sponsored several other professorships and many scholarly seminars in mathematics. Dr. Woodard's students included W.W.S. Claytor, George Butcher, Marjorie Lee Browne, Eleanor Green Jones, Jesse P. Clay, and Orville Keane. W.W.S. Claytor was the most promising student in the inaugural year of Prof. Woodard's new graduate program at Howard in 1929. Both Claytor and Butcher also went to the University of Pennsylvania and earned the Ph.D. degree in mathematics under Prof. J. R. Kline.

There is only a brief mention however of this on his wikipedia page. There is not enough detail about how his contribution at Howard led to a mathematics library. His contributions also led to an increase in the amount of African Americans studying mathematics in college. Adding more information in this sections will make the site more credible for future readers.

Citations:  Kbratt5 (talk) 05:57, 5 November 2014 (UTC)