Grace Marie Bareis (December 19, 1875 – June 15, 1962) was an American mathematician and educator who became the first person to receive a doctorate degree in mathematics from

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

. Bareis was an assistant professor at Ohio State University where she taught for 40 years until her eventual retirement in 1946.

Early life and education

Grace Marie Bareis was born on December 19, 1875, in

Canal Winchester, Ohio Canal Winchester is a city in Fairfield and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 9,107 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb in the Columbus metropolitan area. History Canal Winchester was founded in 1828 by Reuben Dov ...

, to George Frederick Bareis and Amanda Jane. Biography on p.48-50 of th
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/ref> Bareis attended public school in her hometown, and then went on to attend Heidelberg University in Ohio. She graduated as valedictorian of her class and received her A.B degree in 1897. Bareis then completed part of her graduate work at

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh language, Welsh: ) is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as a ...

during 1897–1899, and later at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in that same year She took a brief break from school to work as a teacher at Miss Roney's School in Philadelphia where she would continue to work for the next six years. Two years after leaving Columbia University, she returned to Bryn Mawr College to continue her work on a mathematics degree. In 1906, Bareis enrolled in the graduate program at Ohio State University and after three years received the first Ph.D in mathematics from the university. Her dissertation, "''Imprimitive Substitution Groups of Degree Sixteen",'' was directed by Harry W. Kuhn.

Career

During her graduate work at Ohio State University in 1908, Bareis became an assistant professor of mathematics. She held the position until her retirement in 1946. While serving as an assistant professor, she helped to direct master thesis of her students and also held various other positions in the Education and Women College. Bareis taught mathematics to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

veterans in a class called the "Army Specialized Training Program" and even did so two years after her retirement because of a shortage of math instructors.

Personal life

Bareis was involved with various organizations. Her religious associations include the Evangelical and Reformed Church, Missionary Society, and Indianola Methodist Church. She was a founding member of the

Mathematical Association of America The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary edu ...

, volunteered at the

American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...

, and belonged to the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

as well as the Ohio Historical Society. Bareis was a part of numerous groups at Ohio State University such as the OSU Faculty Club and OSU Alumnae Association. She was also a part of the Board of Trustees of Heidelberg College who awarded her an honorary doctorate in 1950. She enjoyed gardening and tending to her farm in Canal Winchester, Ohio.

Later life and legacy

In 1949, Bareis donated $2000 to Ohio State University to celebrate its 75th anniversary and to provide funding for a written competition between sophomores. "The Grace M. Bareis Mathematical Prize" (part of the Rasor-Bareis-Gordon) competition has been held annually in her honor ever since. Bareis had a home in Canal Winchester, Ohio, but she began living in Columbus with her friend and colleague, Margaret F. Jones, near the start of her retirement. She lived with her for 26 years until a prolonged illness caused her death on June 15, 1962. The Bareis Hall of Science in Heidelberg University was built in her honor.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bareis, Grace Marie 1875 births 1962 deaths 20th-century American mathematicians Group theorists Heidelberg University (Ohio) alumni Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences alumni Ohio State University faculty People from Canal Winchester, Ohio Academics from Columbus, Ohio 20th-century American women mathematicians 20th-century American women academics 20th-century American academics