Elbert Frank Cox (December 5, 1895–November 28, 1969) was an American mathematician who became the first black person in the world to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics. He spent most of his life as a professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he was known as an excellent teacher. During his life, he overcame various difficulties which arose because of his race. In his honor, the National Association of Mathematicians established the Cox-Talbert-Address, which is annually handed out at the NAM's national meetings. The Elbert F. Cox Scholarship Fund, which is used to help black students pursue studies, is named in his honor as well. December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Doctor of Philosophy, or Ph. ... Mathematics is often defined as the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. ... A professor (Latin: one who publicly professes to be an expert) (or prof for short) is a senior teacher, lecturer and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... Howard University is a historically black university in Washington, D.C. It was established by a congressional charter in 1867, and much of its early funding came from the Freedmens Bureau. ... Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Official website: http://www. ... This article is 100 KB or more in size. ...

Early life

Cox was born in Evansville, Indiana to Johnson D. Cox, a Kentucky-born teacher active in the church, and Eugenia Talbot Cox. He grew up with his parents, maternal grandmother and two brothers in a racially mixed neighborhood; in 1900, in his block, there were three black and five white families. A very serious race riot broke out in 1903, with eleven deaths and fifty wounded. Many blacks left the city after this. For other places named Evansville see Evansville (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 38th 94,321 km² 225 km 435 km 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 37th 104,749 km² 225 km 610 km 1. ... A race riot or racial riot is an outbreak of violent civil unrest in which race is a key factor. ...

Cox went to a segregated school with inadequate resources. His father was an important inspiration for him.

College years

At school he showed talents in mathematics, physics, and playing the violin. He was offered a scholarship for the latter at Prague Conservatory of Music in Bohemia (at that time part of Austria-Hungary), but he chose to pursue a major in mathematics at Indiana University. He enrolled there in September 1913, 25 years after Robert Judson Aley had been the first to receive a bachelor's degree in mathematics at the university. By 1930, it would rank 2nd in the U.S. (after Harvard) for the number of mathematicians getting a bachelor's degree. A Superconductor demonstrating the Meissner Effect Physics (from the Greek, φυσικός (physikos), natural, and φύσις (physis), nature) is the science of the natural world dealing with the fundamental constituents of the universe, the forces they exert on one another, and the results produced by these forces. ... The violin is a bowed stringed musical instrument that has four strings tuned a perfect fifth apart, the lowest being the G just below middle C. It is the smallest and highest-tuned member of the violin family of string instruments, which also includes the viola and cello. ... A scholarship is an award of access to an institution or a financial aid award for an individual (a scholar) for the purposes of furthering their education. ... Bohemia. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... An academic major is a mainly U.S. term for a university students main field of specialisation during his or her bachelors degree studies. ... Indiana University Bloomington is the principal campus of the Indiana University system. ... The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ...

Besides mathematics, Cox took courses in German, English, Latin, history, hygiene, chemistry, education, philosophy and physics. Cox' brother Avalon was at Indiana University as well; there were three other black students in his class. He received his bachelors degree in 1917, at a time when the transcript of every black student had the word "COLORED" printed across it. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: History For other senses of this word, see history (disambiguation). ... Hygiene is the maintenance of healthy practices. ... Chemistry (derived from the Arabic word kimia, alchemy, where al is Arabic for the) is the science that deals with the properties of organic and inorganic substances and their interactions with other organic and inorganic substances. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Between colleges

On September 4, 1917, Cox was appointed as a teacher at Alves Street School in Henderson, Kentucky, near his home Evansville. There he taught mathematics and physics to high-school students. In August 1918, Cox signed up to fight in World War I near the war's end. He served from August 22, 1918 until July 25, 1919. September 4 is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Henderson is a city located in Henderson County, Kentucky. ... Official language(s) English Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 37th 104,749 km² 225 km 610 km 1. ... Combatants Allies: • Serbia, • Russia, • France, • Romania, • Belgium, • British Empire and Dominions, • United States, • Italy, • ...and others Central Powers: • Germany, • Austria-Hungary, • Ottoman Empire, • Bulgaria Casualties 5 million military, 3 million civilian (full list) 3 million military, 3 million civilian (full list) World War I, also known as the First World... August 22 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (235th in leap years), with 131 days remaining. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

In the autumn of 1919, he was appointed as a professor in physics, chemistry and biology at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He would continue there until 1922. Biology is the branch of science dealing with the study of life. ... Shaw University is a historically black college located in Raleigh, North Carolina . ... Downtown Raleigh Skyline Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina, a state of the United States of America. ...

Cornell years

In December 1921, he applied for a graduate scholarship at Cornell University. He had already followed courses in zoology, chemistry, botany and dairy in the summers of 1920 and 1921. Cornell's founder, Ezra Cornell, had been an early opponent of slavery, and Cornell University was an appropriate place to study for an African American. Cox was approved May 5, 1922, and enrolled in the autumn of the same year. Cornell University is a research university located on the East Hill of Ithaca, New York. ... Zoology (Greek zoon = animal and logos = word) is the biological discipline which involves the study of animals. ... Botany is the scientific study of plantlife. ... Dairy farm near Oxford, New York A dairy is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal milk (mostly from cows, sometimes from buffalo, sheep or goats) and other farm animals, for human consumption. ... Ezra Cornell (January 11, 1807 – December 9, 1874) was an American businessman and, with Andrew Dickson White, is founder of Cornell University, . He was born in Westchester County, New York, the son of a potter, Elijah Cornell. ... This poster depicting the horrific conditions on slave ships was influential in mobilizing public opinion against slavery in Britain and the United States. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Cox was very successful at Cornell. Important to him was a young instructor, William Lloyd Garrison Williams, a co-founder of the Canadian Mathematical Congress who became chair of Cox' "special committee" in March 1923, and was his supervisor. Cox received the Erastus Brooks fellowship in Mathematics ($400 per year) in autumn 1924, and followed Williams to McGill University in Montreal. He moved back to Cornell in the spring semester of 1925, and finished his dissertation, Polynomial solutions of difference equations, in the summer of the same year. On September 26, 1925, he received his Ph.D. He was certainly the first African American to receive a Ph.D in Mathematics, and most likely the first black man in the world to do so. He did not publish a paper until 1934. McGill University (Université McGill), is a publicly funded, research-intensive, non-denominational, co-educational university located in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ... City motto: Concordia Salus (Latin: Well-being through harmony) Province Quebec Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area  - % water 366. ... This article is about the thesis in dialectics and academia. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black), is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ...

At Cornell, Cox had had to endure different difficulties while pursuing his doctorate; the Ku Klux Klan was active in his area, killing 31 African Americans in 1926. Members of the second Ku Klux Klan at a rally during the 1920s. ...

West Virginia State College

On September 16, 1925, Cox began teaching mathematics and physics at the then all-black, poorly funded West Virginia State College. Professors with a Ph.D. were a rarity there, and his international connections made him stand out as well. He received a salary of $1800. His influence can be seen in the large number of changes in the curriculum between 1925 and 1928. In 1927, he married Beulah Kaufman, the daughter of a former slave. She was a teacher at an elementary school, and worked with Cox' brother Avalon. He and Beulah had met in 1921 and had courted for six years. Their first child, James, was born in 1928. In 1929, he joined Howard University and moved to Washington, D.C. September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Courtship or dating is the process of selecting and attracting a mate for companionship, sex, marriage and sexual reproduction. ... Howard University is a historically black university in Washington, D.C. It was established by a congressional charter in 1867, and much of its early funding came from the Freedmens Bureau. ... Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Official website: http://www. ...

Howard University

Cox started to teach at Howard University in September 1930. It was very different; despite his high credentials, he was outranked by other professors such as William Bauduit and Charles Syphax. Both had published multiple papers; it was only now that Cox published his graduation paper. Williams, his supervisor, tried to pursue recognition for Cox from a university from another country, but had difficulties in doing so. Different universities in England and Germany refused to consider his thesis, but the Tohoku Imperial University in Sendai, Japan did recognize it. It was published in the Tôhoku Mathematical Journal in 1934 ^[1]. It has been suggested that the refusal of his thesis by English and German universities was because of his race. Being an African American, it was difficult to get a job where he could focus on research rather than teaching. He was, however, very active in teaching: the university' president, James M. Nabrit, remarked that Cox had directed more Master's Degree students than any other professor at Howard's University. His students also performed better than those of other professors, and he was a popular professor. Among his students was his son Elbert Lucien Cox. Cox was promoted to Professor in 1947. In 1954 he became head of the department of Mathematics, holding this position until 1961, when he had to quit because he had reached the age of 65. He continued teaching until his retirement in 1966 - three years before his death at age 73 in Washington. Although he did not live to see the first Ph.D. student graduate at Howard, many believe it was mainly due to his contributions that this became possible. Cox' portrait hangs in Howard University's common room. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Tohoku University (東北大学; Tōhoku Daigaku, abbreviated as 東北大 Tōhokudai), located in the city of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture in the Tohoku region, is one of Japans most prestigious national universities. ... Downtown Sendai from Sendai Castles reconstructed guardhouse Sendai (仙台市; -shi) is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and the largest city in the Tohoku (northeast) region. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate or graduate course of one to three years in duration. ...

Family

Elbert and Beulah Kaufman-Cox had four children:

• James was born on August 9, 1928.
• Eugene Kaufman was born on September 23, 1930. He is currently an architect.
• Elbert Lucien was born on January 13, 1933. He followed his father and served as Associative Vice President at Howard University.
• Kenneth, born January 1935, died at the age of 17 months.

August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Work

During his life, Cox published two articles. He expanded on the work Niels Nörlund had done on Euler polynomials as a solution to a particular difference equation^[2]; in particular, Cox introduced generalised Euler polynomials as a generalisation of Euler polynomials, and the generalised Boole summation formula as an expansion on the Boole summation formula. He also studied a number of specialised polynomials as solutions for certain differential equations. In his other paper, published in 1947, he mathematically compared three systems of grading. ^[3] In mathematics, the Bernoulli polynomials occur in the study of many special functions and in particular the Riemann zeta function and the Hurwitz zeta function. ... In mathematics, a recurrence relation, also known as a difference equation, is an equation which defines a sequence recursively: each term of the sequence is defined as a function of the preceding terms. ...

Sources and further reading

• ^  E.F. Cox (1934). "The polynomial solutions of the difference equation af(x+1) + bf(x) = φ(x)". Tôhoku Mathematical Journal 39: 327 – 348.
• ^  E.F. Cox (1947). "On a class of interpolation functions for a system of grading". Journal of Experimental Education 15: 331 – 341.
• Elbert Cox. University of St. Andrews on Elbert Cox. URL accessed on October 2, 2005.
• Elbert Frank Cox. the Mathematical Association of America. URL accessed on October 2, 2005.
• Elbert Frank Cox, first Black to earn a Ph.D. in Mathematics. Mathematicians of the African Diaspora. URL accessed on October 2, 2005.
• Math department honors Elbert Cox. Cornell University. URL accessed on October 2, 2005.
• James A. Donaldson, Richard J. Fleming (2000). "Elbert F. Cox: an early pioneer". American Mathematical Monthly 107: 105 – 128.
• 4 more references for further reading