Mary W. Gray
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Mary Lee Wheat Gray (born April 8, 1938) is an American mathematician, statistician, and lawyer. She is the author of books and papers in the fields of
mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
, mathematics education, computer science, applied statistics, economic equity,
discrimination law Anti-discrimination law or non-discrimination law refers to legislation designed to prevent discrimination against particular groups of people; these groups are often referred to as protected groups or protected classes. Anti-discrimination laws ...
, and academic freedom. She is currently on the Board of Advisers for POMED (Project on Middle East Democracy) and is the chair of the Board of Directors of
AMIDEAST Amideast (the America-Mideast Educational and Training Services) is a United States, U.S. non-profit organization that works to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation between United States, Americans and the peoples of the MENA, Middle Ea ...
(America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc.).


Biography and career

Gray completed her undergraduate degree from Hastings College and her Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Kansas. She also completed her J.D. from Washington College of Law. She is a member of the District of Columbia and U.S. Supreme Court bars. Gray was one of the founding members of the
Association for Women in Mathematics The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) is a professional society whose mission is to encourage women and girls to study and to have active careers in the mathematical sciences, and to promote equal opportunity for and the equal treatment o ...
(AWM) and the first President of the AWM from 1971 to 1973. As reported in ''A Brief History of the Association for Women in Mathematics: The Presidents' Perspectives'', by Lenore Blum, "As Judy Green remembers (and Chandler Davis, early AWM friend, concurs): 'The formal idea of women getting together and forming a caucus was first made publicly at a MAG athematics Action Groupmeeting in 1971 ... in
Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
. Joanne Darken, then an instructor at Temple University and now at the
Community College of Philadelphia The Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) is a public community college with campuses throughout Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The college was founded in 1965 and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It offers over 1 ...
, stood up at the meeting and suggested that the women present remain and form a caucus. I have been able to document six women who remained: me (I was a graduate student at Maryland at the time), Joanne Darken, Mary .Gray (she was already at American University), Diane Laison (then an instructor at Temple), Gloria Olive (a Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago, New Zealand, who was visiting the U.S. at the time) and Annie Selden...It's not absolutely clear what happened next, except that I've personally always thought that Mary was responsible for getting the whole thing organized ....'". Mary W. Gray was the early organizer, placing an advertisement in the February 1971 Notices of the
AMS AMS or Ams may refer to: Organizations Companies * Alenia Marconi Systems * American Management Systems * AMS (Advanced Music Systems) * ams AG, semiconductor manufacturer * AMS Pictures * Auxiliary Medical Services Educational institutions * A ...
, and writing the first issue of the AWM Newsletter that May. Again as reported by Lenore Blum, "What I remember hearing about Mary .Gray and the Atlantic City Meetings, indeed what perked my curiosity, was an entirely different event, one that was also to alter dramatically the character of the mathematics community. In those years the AMS was governed by what could only be called an "old boys network," closed to all but those in the inner circle. Mary challenged that by sitting in on the Council meeting in Atlantic City. When she was told she had to leave, she refused saying she would wait until the police came. (Mary relates the story somewhat differently: When she was told she had to leave, she responded she could find no rules in the by-laws restricting attendance at Council meetings. She was then told it was by "gentlemen's agreement." Naturally Mary replied "Well, obviously I'm no gentleman.") After that time, Council meetings were open to observers and the process of democratization of the Society had begun." ''A Brief History of the Association for Women in Mathematics: The Presidents' Perspectives'' dedicates a chapter to Mary W. Gray titled "Mary Gray (1971-1973): The mother of us all". She worked closely with her AU colleague, chemist
Nina Roscher Nina Matheny Roscher (1938—2001) was an American chemist and advocate for women and minorities in science. She also researched the history of women in chemistry, publishing the book ''Women Chemists'' (1995). She served as professor and chair o ...
to improve resources for women and minorities in mathematics and science and prevent them from dropping classes. They created an apprenticeship program to help show first year female students an interdisciplinary, people-oriented perspective of scientists. The program, funded by a $95,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) included a seminar course followed by a two-month apprenticeship working with a scientist engaged in science policy work.


Honors

On July 30, 2017, when Gray received (from the American Statistical Association) the Karl E. Peace Award for Outstanding Statistical Contributions for the Betterment of Society (Paul S. Albert, chair), this was the written citation: "For the innovative use of statistics for fighting discrimination through the promotion of equality and human rights; for legal advocacy in court cases; and for leadership in multiple societies, including as first president of the Association for Women in Mathematics and chair of the American Middle East Educational and Training Services." And, this was the spoken citation: "The winners of the 2017 Karl E. Peace award for Outstanding Statistical Contributions for the Betterment of Society reflect ways that statistical thinking in action can make important scientific and societal impact. The first is using statistics to directly inform policy and improve society, and the second is developing new statistical methodology that translates to the betterment of society. Dr. Mary Gray, trained as both a statistician and a lawyer, has made important contributions in the application of statistics in human rights, economic equality, legal issues, and education. She is the founder and first president of the Association for Women in Mathematics and chair of the American Middle East Education and Training Services. Dr. Gray is a fellow of the American Statistical Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and is the recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Engineering and Mathematics Mentoring. She is the author of two books and over eighty articles and has lectured throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, on these important topics." Gray has received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Mentoring from President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
. She has also received honorary degrees from the University of Nebraska, Mount Holyoke College, and Hastings College. She is a fellow of the American Mathematical Society, The American Statistical Association, the
American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...
, and the Association for Women in Science. In 2017, Gray was selected as a fellow of the
Association for Women in Mathematics The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) is a professional society whose mission is to encourage women and girls to study and to have active careers in the mathematical sciences, and to promote equal opportunity for and the equal treatment o ...
in the inaugural class. In 2021, she was awarded the
MAA Certificate of Merit The MAA Certificate of Merit is awarded at irregular intervals by the Mathematical Association of America for special work or service to mathematics or the broader mathematics community. Recipients The recipients of the MAA Certificate of Merit ...
.


Published works


Books

* *


Journal articles

Gray has published over 80 articles. *


Awards

*1959
Fulbright Fellowship The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
*1959-1963
NDEA The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) was signed into law on September 2, 1958, providing funding to United States education institutions at all levels.Schwegler 1 NDEA was among many science initiatives implemented by President Dwight D. ...
fellowship *1963-1964
NSF NSF may stand for: Political organizations *National Socialist Front, a Swedish National Socialist party *NS-Frauenschaft, the women's wing of the former German Nazi party *National Students Federation, a leftist Pakistani students' political gr ...
fellowship *1994 Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement from the
American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...
*1979 Georgina Smith Award from the American Association of University Professors for her work on the status of women in collective bargaining *2001 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Engineering and Mathematics Mentoring *2012
Elizabeth L. Scott Award The Elizabeth L. Scott Award is an biennial award given (in even years) by the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies and named in honor of Elizabeth Scott, an American statistician. This award recognizes an individual who exemplifies ...
from the Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies *201
Karl E. Peace Award
for Outstanding Statistical Contributions for the Betterment of Society


Memberships

*Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Middle East Education Foundation * Statistics Without Borders *Co-director of the Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship program at American University *President of the
Association for Women in Mathematics The Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) is a professional society whose mission is to encourage women and girls to study and to have active careers in the mathematical sciences, and to promote equal opportunity for and the equal treatment o ...
, 1971–1973 *American Association for the Advancement of Science: Chair of Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, 1997 - 1999


References


Further reading


A Brief History of the Association for Women in Mathematics: The Presidents' Perspectives
*''Notable Women in Mathematics, a Biographical Dictionary'', edited by Charlene Morrow and Teri Perl, Greenwood Press, 1998. pp 71–76 *


External links

*
Mary Gray
at American University

Agnes Scott College Agnes Scott College is a private women's liberal arts college in Decatur, Georgia. The college enrolls approximately 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The college is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and is considered one of the ...

Mary Lee Wheat Gray
Mathematics Genealogy Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Mary W. 1939 births Living people 20th-century American mathematicians 21st-century American mathematicians American statisticians American women mathematicians Women statisticians Hastings College alumni University of Kansas alumni Washington College of Law alumni American University faculty and staff Fellows of the American Statistical Association Fellows of the American Mathematical Society Fellows of the Association for Women in Mathematics 20th-century women mathematicians 21st-century women mathematicians 20th-century American women 21st-century American women