Benjamin Osgood Peirce (February 11, 1854 – January 14, 1914) was an American

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, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

and a holder of the

Hollis Chair of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy The Hollis Chair of Mathematicks and Natural Philosophy is an endowed professorship established at Harvard College in 1727 by Thomas Hollis. The chair, now part of the Physics Department, is the second oldest at Harvard, and the oldest professors ...

at Harvard from 1888 until his death in 1914.

Early life

Benjamin Osgood Peirce was born to M. (née Seccomb) and Benjamin Osgood Peirce on February 11, 1854, in

Beverly, Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, and a suburb of Boston. The population was 42,670 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. A resort, residential, and manufacturing community on the Massachusetts North Shore, Beverly incl ...

. In 1876, he graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

. He then received a PhD from the

Leipzig University Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December ...

in 1879. He then studied in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

for another year.

Career

Peirce taught at the

Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a public exam school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established on April 23, 1635, making it both the oldest public school in the British America and the oldest existing school in the United States. Its curriculum f ...

for one year. From 1881 to 1884, he taught mathematics at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. He then taught mathematics and physics as an assistant professor until 1888. In 1888, he became the

. Peirce was elected to the Council 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, ...

, serving from 1896 to 1898. He was a founder of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

when it began in 1899 and was elected to the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

(United States) in 1906. He was honoured with election to foreign academies such as the Mathematical Circle of Palermo and the

French Physical Society French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

. In 1910 he was awarded an honorary degree by Harvard University. In 1912 he represented Harvard University at the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the

Royal Society of London The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

Personal life

Peirce married Isabella Turnbull Landreth in 1882. Together, they had two daughters. Removed by several degrees, he was a cousin of

Charles Sanders Peirce Charles Sanders Peirce ( ; September 10, 1839 – April 19, 1914) was an American philosopher, logician, mathematician and scientist who is sometimes known as "the father of pragmatism". Educated as a chemist and employed as a scientist for t ...

, whose father, Benjamin Peirce, worked as the academic advisor to Joseph Lovering, Benjamin Osgood Peirce's predecessor as holder of the Hollis Chair of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy.

Death

Peirce died at his home in Cambridge from

angina Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by ischemia, insufficient blood flow to the Cardiac muscle, heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is typical ...

on January 14, 1914. He is buried at the Central Cemetery in Beverly.

Works

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peirce, Benjamin Osgood 1854 births 1914 deaths 19th-century American mathematicians 20th-century American mathematicians Hollis Chair of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy Harvard University alumni Leipzig University alumni Harvard University faculty Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Bibliography Presidents of the American Physical Society