Marie Litzinger (May 14, 1899 – April 7, 1952) was an American mathematician known for her research in number theory, homogeneous polynomials, and modular arithmetic.

Marie Litzinger
A smiling young white woman standing outdoors, wearing a dark coat
Marie Litzinger, from the 1920 yearbook of Bryn Mawr College
BornMay 14, 1899
Bedford, Pennsylvania
DiedApril 7, 1952
Bedford, Pennsylvania
Occupation(s)Mathematician, college professor
Scientific career
Thesis A Basis for Residual Polynomials in n Variables  (1934)
Doctoral advisorLeonard Eugene Dickson

Early life and education

edit

Marie Litzinger was born in Bedford, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Rush Litzinger and Katherine O'Connell Litzinger.[1][2] Her father owned a marble works, and was an accountant for the Pennsylvania Railroad.[3]

Litzinger earned her bachelor's degree and master's degree at Bryn Mawr College in 1920[4] and 1922, respectively. She won the college's European Fellowship in 1920.[5] She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in 1934.[6][7] Her doctoral advisor was Leonard Eugene Dickson, one of the first American researchers in abstract algebra.[6] Her dissertation was titled "A Basis for Residual Polynomials in n Variables."[1]

Career

edit

While studying, Litzinger taught mathematics at secondary institutions, before becoming an instructor at Mount Holyoke College in 1925, where she remained for the rest of her career and rose to the rank of full professor in 1942.[1] She also served as department chair. She was a member of the American Mathematical Society, among other professional societies.[1][8][9]

Personal life

edit

Litzinger died in her hometown, Bedford, Pennsylvania, in 1952, aged 52 years.[10]

Papers

edit

The Marie P. Litzinger Papers, which consist of Litzinger's college correspondence and photographs, are held at Bryn Mawr College with the Collection Identifier BMC-M124.[11]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d Riddle, Larry (January 10, 2014), "Marie Litzinger", Biographies of Women Mathematicians, Agnes Scott College, retrieved 2015-12-26.
  2. ^ "Mrs. Katherine Litzinger". Bedford Gazette. 1948-06-17. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-11-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Bedford Loses Prominent Citizen". Bedford Gazette. 1927-06-10. p. 1. Retrieved 2021-11-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Bryn Mawr College. Senior Class (1920). Bryn Mawr College Yearbook. Class of 1920. Special Collections Bryn Mawr College Library. Bryn Mawr, PA: Bryn Mawr College.
  5. ^ "Miss Marie Litzinger". Corsicana Daily Sun. 1920-07-24. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-11-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b Marie Litzinger at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
  7. ^ Edwards, Harold M.; Duren, W. L. (1988). A Century of Mathematics in America. American Mathematical Soc. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-8218-0130-7.
  8. ^ Ogilvie, Marilyn Bailey; Harvey, Joy Dorothy (2000-01-01). The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science: L-Z. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9780415920407.
  9. ^ Green, Judy; LaDuke, Jeanne (2009), "Litzinger, Marie, May 14, 1899–April 7, 1952", Pioneering Women in American Mathematics: The Pre-1940 PhD's, History of mathematics, vol. 34, American Mathematical Society, pp. 230–231, ISBN 9780821843765. Biography on p.370-371 of the Supplementary Material at AMS
  10. ^ "Noted Teacher Dies in Bedford". Everett Press. 1952-04-18. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-11-08 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Collection: Marie P. Litzinger Papers | Archives & Manuscripts". archives.tricolib.brynmawr.edu.