Euphemia Haynes - trailblazer and educator

Euphemia Haynes (September 11, 1890 – July, 25 1980) was a mathematician and educator, who became the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics when she graduated from the Catholic University of America in 1943, at the age of 53.

She was born into a prominent fourth generation black family in Washington, D.C. Her father worked as a dentist and invested in black-owned businesses. She was valedictorian of her graduating class of M Street High School in 1907, and went on to graduate from Washington D.C. Miner Normal School with distinction in 1909 and shortly thereafter began her long career in the Washington, D.C., school system.

While teaching she continued her own education to better serve her students and the larger community. In 1914, she graduated from Smith College with a major in mathematics and minor in psychology. In 1930, she earned her master's degree in education from the University of Chicago, with her thesis, "The Historical Development of Tests in Elementary and Secondary Mathematics." That same year, recognizing the importance of math education, she founded a new department at her alma mater, the Miner's Teachers College, to address the needs of young teachers learning how to teach mathematics: Division of Mathematics and Business Education, where she continued to serve as professor and chair of the department until she retired in 1959.

In addition to her duties to the college, she also taught in the public schools, moving through a variety of positions as she was needed. She taught elementary classes as well as high school mathematics, serving different schools throughout the district. She also occasionally taught part-time at Howard University.

In 1943, she became the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics when she graduated from the Catholic University of America. She was 53 years old, and her dedication to mathematics and the students of Washington, D.C., was as strong as ever. Continually frustrated by the lack of opportunities for black students to pursue academics instead of vocational training, she pushed for desegregation of the school system. In 1960, she joined the District of Columbia Board of Education, where she continued her mission to improve conditions for all students. In 1966, she became the first woman to serve as chair of the Board of Education.

Throughout her life, her devotion to education was equaled only by her devotion to her religious beliefs. In 1934 she helped found the Catholic Interracial Council of the District of Columbia, an  organization that sought to increase cooperation and understanding between African Americans and whites and advance the cause of social justice and equality for African Americans. She was the first vice-president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, and belonged to and served on the boards of several social welfare and civil rights organizations, including the Executive Committee of the DC Health and Welfare Council, the NAACP, the Urban League, and the AAUW.

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