Janet McDonald (1905–2006) was an American mathematician who specialized in geometry, specifically the concept of Conjugate Nets. She taught at

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...

for 27 years and was named

professor emerita ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

in 1971.

Life and work

McDonald (sometimes spelled MacDonald) was born in Wesson, Mississippi on September 3, 1905, and was the first child of Joseph McDonald and Bessie Walden McDonald.Ogilvie, M. B., & Harvey, J. D. (2000). The biographical dictionary of women in science: Pioneering lives from ancient times to the mid-20th century. New York: Routledge. p. 866. ISBN 978-0-415-92038-4 She earned her bachelor's degree from Belhaven College for Young Ladies in Jackson in 1925, and then she taught for three years in secondary schools in nearby Jefferson Davis County. She completed her M.A. degree in mathematics from

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...

in 1929 and joined the faculty of

Mississippi Synodical College The Mississippi Synodical College is a historic building in Holly Springs, Mississippi, USA. Formerly a religious college, it is home to the Marshall County Historical Society and Museum. Location The building is located at 220 College Avenue in H ...

(1929-1932) to head the math department. In 1932, she was named department head and registrar at Hinds Junior College in Raymond, Mississippi (1932-1941). With the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, McDonald enrolled at

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

to pursue her Ph.D. but after two years of study, she took on a teaching role there. She completed her doctorate in 1943 (showing her name as Janet MacDonald) with her dissertation titled ''Conjugate nets in asymptotic parameters.'' She was immediately hired by

in New York, first as an instructor and moving to professorships, chair and then professor emerita (1971). She particularly enjoyed teaching geometry and encouraged students to pursue advanced degrees in math. She remained there in a teaching capacity for 27 years. Throughout her life, she enjoyed studying and traveling abroad, "spending much of her leisure in England, Scotland (home of her paternal grandfather), France, Greece, and Spain. Her extended studies took her to the University of Rome and

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

." For example, in 1951, she spent the summer in her native Mississippi studying. She spent most of her time doing work in mathematics on projective differential geometry, especially conjugate nets, and studying Italian in preparation for her leave of absence second semester next year. At that time, she went to study projective differential geometry and algebraic geometry at the University of Rome. She chose Rome because Professors Enrico Bompina and

Francesco Severi Francesco Severi (13 April 1879 – 8 December 1961) was an Italian mathematician. He was the chair of the committee on Fields Medal on 1936, at the first delivery. Severi was born in Arezzo, Italy. He is famous for his contributions to algeb ...

, leaders in her field of study, were lecturing there. On her retirement in 1971, she returned to Jackson, Mississippi and taught some classes at her alma mater, Belhaven College. McDonald died October 29, 2006 in

Madison, Mississippi Madison is a city in Madison County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 24,841 at the 2010 census. The population is currently over 25,000. It is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The city of Madison, named ...

after a brief illness at 101 years of age. She is buried in Prentiss Cemetery in Prentiss, Mississippi.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Janet 1905 births 2006 deaths American centenarians Women centenarians Vassar College faculty Belhaven University alumni Tulane University alumni University of Chicago alumni Mathematics educators American mathematicians 20th-century American mathematicians Women mathematicians