"Elbert Frank Cox"(December 5,1895-November 28,1969)

Was an African American mathematician who became the first African

American 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,Elbert overcame various difficulties which arose because of his race.In his honor,the National Association of Mathematicians established the Cox-Talbot Address,which is annual delivered at the NAM's national meetings.The Elbert F.Cox Scholarship Fund,which is used to help African American students pursue studies,named in his honor as well.In 1917 after graduating,Elbert joined the U.S. Army in World War I.After he was discharged from the Army,Elbert began his career as a high school math tutor.He studied physics and the violin and was offered a scholarship for the latter at Prague Conservatory in Bohemia (at that time part of Austria-Hungary),he chose 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.Elbert was also initiated into Kappa Alpha Nu (Kappa Alpha Psi) Fraternity Inc.By 1930,it would rank 2nd in the U.S. (after Howard university) for the number of mathematicians getting a bachelor's degree.Besides  mathematics,Elbert took courses,in German,English,Latin,history,hygiene,chemistry,education,philosophy and physics.His brother Avalon was at Indiana University as well;there were three other African Americans students in his class.He received his bachelor's degree in 1917,at at time when the transcript of every African American student had the word "COLORED"printed across it.After serving in the U.S. army in France during World War I,he returned to pursue a career in teaching,as an instructor of  mathematics at a high school in Henderson Kentucky.In December 1991 he applied for admission to Cornell University,one of seven American universities with a doctoral program in mathematics.One of his references wrote a positive letter followed by another letter anticipating"... certain difficulties for the young man because of the fact he is of colored race.So Elbert joined the faculty of Shaw University.Elbert  was awarded an Erastus Brooks fellowship in September 1922,and he enrolled in Cornell University.When his thesis advisor William Lloyd Garrison (also founder of the Canadian Mathematical Society) realized that Elbert had the chance to be recognized not only as the first African American in the U.S. but as the first African American in the world to receive a P.h.D.in mathematics,he urged his student to send his thesis to a university in another country so that Elbert's status in this regard would be disputed.Universities in England & German turned Elbert down.(possible for reasons of race),Japan's imperial University of San Dei accepted the dissertation.He was the first African American to earn a PhD.D. in Mathematics (Cornell University,1925),just 39 years after Cornell gave its first PhD.D. in Mathematics (1886).On September 16,1925,Elbert began teaching mathematics and physics at the then all-African American,poorly funded West Virginia State College.Professors with a PhD.D.were a rarity there,and his international connections made him stand out as well.Elbert received a salary of $1800.His influence can be seen in large changes in the curriculum between 1925 & 1928.In 1927 he married Beulah Kaufman,the daughter of a former slave.She was a teacher at an elementary school,and worked with his Elbert's brother Avalon.Elbert and Beulah had met in 1921 and had courted for six years.In 1929,he joined Howard University and moved to Washington,D.C..Elbert started to teach at Howard University in September 1930.It was very different;despite his high credentials,he was outranked outranked by other professors such as William Bauduit & Charles Syphax.Both had published multiple papers;it was only now that Elbert published his graduation paper.Lloyd his supervisor,tried to pursue recognition for Elbert from a university in another country,but had difficulties in doing so.Different universities in England & Germany fused o consider his thesis,the Tohoku Imperial University in Sendai,Japan did recognize it.It was published in the Tohoku Mathematics Journal in 1934.It had been suggested that the refusal of his thesis by English & 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,very active in teaching:the university's president,James M.Nabrit,remarked that Elbert 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,he was a popular professor.Among his students,was his son Elbert Lucien Cox.Elbert Frank 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 in Washington.Elbert 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.His picture hangs in Howard's University's common room.