Virginia Halmos (1915–2015), born Virginia Pritchett, is known for mathematical philanthropy. She and her husband Paul Halmos endowed the American Mathematical Society's Joseph L. Doob Prize for research exposition.[1] They also made substantial gifts to the Mathematical Association of America.[2] In particular, they endowed the Mathematical Association of America's Euler Book Prize, which was first given in 2007.[3] After her husband's death, Virginia Halmos donated funds to the Mathematical Association of America to support digitization of her husband's extensive archives.[4]

Virginia Halmos (then Pritchett) earned an undergraduate degree at Vassar College. She went to graduate school at Brown University, where she studied logic. She left the graduate program in 1945 when she married Paul Halmos, but she maintained a strong interest in mathematics and the lives of mathematicians.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Joseph L. Doob Prize". American Mathematical Society.
  2. ^ "Virginia Halmos dies at age 99". MAA Focus. February–March 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  3. ^ Siegel, Martha J. (February 2007), "JMM 2007: Report of the MAA Secretary" (PDF), Focus, Mathematical Association of America: 8–10, archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-02, retrieved 2011-02-02.
  4. ^ Mead, Carol (April–May 2015). "Virginia Halmos's generosity benefits us all". MAA Focus.
  5. ^ Alexanderson, Gerald (May 2015). "Virginia Halmos (1915–2015)" (PDF). AMS Notices. Retrieved 7 December 2024.