John Howard Van Amringe (April 3, 1835 – September 10, 1915) was an American educator and

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

Life and career

John Howard Van Amringe by Eastman Johnson

Van Amringe was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

on April 3, 1835. He was a son of William Frederick Van Amringe (1791–1873) and Susan Budd (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Stirling) Van Amringe (1798–1891). Among his siblings was brother, Thomas Budd Van Amringe. He entered

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 1856 and graduated from the school with a degree of

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in 1860. Three years later, he received a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

, and in 1890, he was made a

Doctor of Literature Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...

. Amringe died on September 10, 1915 in

Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a Town (New Jersey), town in and the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

Career

While still an undergraduate, he taught mathematics at Columbia, taking his junior classes in Greek. He became a full-fledged member of the faculty in the fall of 1860, becoming a full professor in 1865 and teaching until his retirement in 1910. During 1864 to 1865, he was also a lecturer in the

School of Mines A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of ...

. After serving as Dean of the School of Fine Arts in 1895, Van Amringe succeeded

Seth Low Seth Low (January 18, 1850 – September 17, 1916) was an American educator and political figure who served as the mayor of Brooklyn from 1881 to 1885, the president of Columbia University from 1890 to 1901, a diplomatic representative of ...

to become the first Dean of Columbia College, the university's undergraduate school of arts and sciences, which he defended from dismemberment and incorporation into the larger university. During his long presence at the school, he made many addresses and enjoyed unrivaled popularity. Van Amringe also served as the first president of the

American Mathematical Society The American Mathematical Society (AMS) is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, and serves the national and international community through its publications, meetings, ...

from 1888 and 1890 and was a member of the

New-York Historical Society The New York Historical (known as the New-York Historical Society from 1804 to 2024) is an American history museum and library on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. It ...

and the American Society for the Advancement of Science. He is memorialized with a bust enshrined in a column-supported cupola on "Van Am Quad" in the southeastern portion of the campus, surrounded by three Columbia College dormitories ( John Jay Hall,

Hartley Hall Hartley Hall was the first official residence hall (or dormitory) constructed on the campus of Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus, and houses undergraduate students from Columbia College of Columbia University, Columbia College as we ...

, and Wallach Hall) and by the main College academic building, Hamilton Hall. The Memorial was built in 1917 and 1918, and was dedicated on Commencement Day in 1918.

Personal life

2014 Columbia University John Howard Van Amringe Memorial

Van Amringe was married to Cornelia Bucknor (1838–1914), the daughter of William Goelet Bucknor. Cornelia was the great-granddaughter of Peter Goelet, a wealthy merchant and real estate entrepreneur in New York City. Together, Cornelia and John were the parents of: * Emily Van Amringe (1867–1955), who died not marry. * Guy Van Amringe (1869–1936), a magistrate of the New York Municipal Court. Van Amringe died suddenly on September 10, 1915, at the Keeler House in

Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a Town (New Jersey), town in and the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

. After a funeral conducted by the Rev. Dr. William T. Manning (later the 10th Bishop of New York), Rector of Trinity Church (where he was a Vestryman), he was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the

Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

Honors and legacy

Van Amringe received a number of honorary degrees including Ph.D. from the

University of the State of New York The University of the State of New York (USNY, ) is the state governmental umbrella organization that oversees all educational institutions, including schools, libraries, and museums in New York State. It is governed by the Board of Regents. D ...

in 1877 and an LL.D. from

Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...

in 1895. In honor of Van Amringe, Columbia University's Department of Mathematics has presented a "Van Amringe Mathematical Prize" each year (since 1911) to the best freshman or sophomore mathematics student, based on a very challenging examination.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Amringe, John Howard 1835 births 1915 deaths Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery 19th-century American mathematicians 20th-century American mathematicians Columbia College (New York) alumni Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Columbia University faculty Mathematicians from Philadelphia Presidents of the American Mathematical Society Presidents of Columbia University