Evan William Evans (January 6, 1827-May 22, 1874) was a Welsh-American mathematician and the first professor at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

. Evans, son of William and Catharine (Howell), was born Jan. 6, 1827 in

Llangyfelach Llangyfelach is a village and community located in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. Llangyfelach is situated about 4 miles north of the centre of Swansea, just west of Morriston. It falls within the Llangyfelach ward. To the west is open ...

, near

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

, South Wales. His parents moved to Bradford County, Pa., in 1831, where he obtained his early education. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1851. He studied theology at

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

for about a year, and then became principal of the

Delaware Literary Institute The Delaware Literary Institute was a secondary school located at Franklin, New York. In the mid-19th century it was one of the most prominent educational institutions in New York State. It operated from 1835 to 1902. History The Delaware Liter ...

, in Franklin, N. Y. From this position he was called to a tutorship at Yale, which he resigned, however, after one year's service (1855-6). In 1857 he was appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy at

Marietta College Marietta College (MC) is a private liberal arts college in Marietta, Ohio. It offers more than 50 undergraduate majors across the arts, sciences, and engineering, as well as Physician Assistant, Psychology, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, an ...

, Ohio, and filled that place until 1864. He was then for three years occupied in Mining Engineering, and spent a fourth year in European travel. He was the first professor appointed in Cornell University, N. Y., and from the opening of that institution, in the fall of 1868, until 1872, filled the chair of Mathematics. He resigned on account of failing health, and after an absence of a few months at the South, returned to

Ithaca Ithaca most commonly refers to: *Homer's Ithaca, an island featured in Homer's ''Odyssey'' *Ithaca (island), an island in Greece, possibly Homer's Ithaca *Ithaca, New York, a city, and home of Cornell University and Ithaca College Ithaca, Ithaka ...

, and gradually sank, until his death of consumption, May 22, 1874. Professor Evans was a general scholar, and while excelling in mathematics, was perhaps the most thorough Celtic student in this country. He was married, Aug. 6, 1856, to Helen E., daughter of Rev. Dr. Tertius S Clarke, then of Franklin, N. Y. She survived him, with several children.

External links

''Dictionary of Welsh Biography''
*
Cochell: The Early History of the Cornell Mathematics Department

The Evans Lectures at Cornell

Cornell Mathematics Department chairs
{{Authority control 1827 births 1874 deaths Welsh emigrants to the United States 19th-century American mathematicians Cornell University faculty Yale College alumni Marietta College faculty People from Swansea People from Bradford County, Pennsylvania Mathematicians from Pennsylvania