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Alfred Oscar Coffin
Alfred Oscar Coffin (May 14, 1861 – 1933) was a professor of mathematics and Romance language. He is best known for being the first African American to obtain a PhD in biology. Coffin earned his bachelor's degree and master's degree at Fisk University. In 1889, he earned his PhD in biology at Illinois Wesleyan University. His thesis was titled 'The Origin of the Mound Builders'. In 1887, Coffin taught at Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College for two years in Mississippi. From 1889 to 1895, he worked as a professor of mathematics and Romance language at Wiley University at Marshall, Texas. He later worked as the booking agent for John William Boone. Early life Coffin was born May 14, 1861, in Pontotoc, Mississippi. References {{DEFAULTSORT:Coffin, Alfred 1861 births 1933 deaths 20th-century African-American academics 20th-century American academics People from Pontotoc, Mississippi 19th-century African-American scientists 19th-century American mathematicians Americ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pontotoc, Mississippi
Pontotoc is a city in, and the county seat of, Pontotoc County, Mississippi, located to the west of the much larger city of Tupelo. The population was 5,625 at the 2010 census. Pontotoc is a Chickasaw word that means, “Land of the Hanging Grapes.” History Pontotoc is a Chickasaw word meaning "Land of Hanging Grapes". The Chickasaw nation occupied this area long before Europeans colonized the Southeast, the last in a succession of indigenous peoples who had this territory for thousands of years. In the early 1830s they were forced to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River through the federal program of Indian removal. In the late 19th century, the outlaws Jesse and Frank James and their gang came into this area. They once hid at an old house that had been used as a Union Army hospital during the Battle of Harrisburg or Battle of Tupelo in the Civil War. The house was located at a crossroad in east Pontotoc County, near the Lee County line. The Town Square Museum i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |