For day 15 of our Women’s History Month celebration, we recognize: Dr.
Marjorie Lee Browne!
Dr. Marjorie Lee Browne (September 9, 1914 – October 19, 1979) was an educator, mathematician, and the third African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. Born in Memphis, Tennessee on September 9, 1914, Browne shared a gift in mathematics. A graduate of LeMoyne High School, Browne attended Howard University where she graduated cum laude in 1935. Following her graduation, Browne moved to New Orleans, where she began working as a teacher at Gilbert Academy, but left soon after to pursue her master’s. In 1949, at the University of Michigan, Brown became the third African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics. After earning her Ph.D., Browne joined North Carolina College’s faculty where she later became the chair of the Mathematics Department in 1951. As the chair, Browne helped the school in becoming a forerunner in operating some of the earliest computer software at the time; which ultimately led to IBM giving Browne a $60,000 grant to fund a digital computer center at the college – making it the first of its kind for any minority school. Under Browne’s leadership, North Carolina College became the home of a National Science Foundation Institution which provided secondary education for those studying mathematics. Browne’s work and intellect also afforded her a Ford Foundation grant to attend Cambridge University as well as grants to attend the University of California at Los Angeles and Columbia University. Aside from being an educator, Browne was also a member of several organizations which included the Mathematical Association of America, the Women’s Research Society, and the National Science Foundation, where she was one of the first African-American women to serve on the advisory council.
Robinson Family Aerospace Mission 