Marian L. Palmer Capps (also known as Mrs John Winston Capps, 1901 – November 17, 2001) was an American mathematician who became a professor at

Norfolk State University Norfolk State University (NSU) is a public historically black university in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Virginia High-Tech Partnership. History The institution was founded on September 18, 1935 a ...

and president of the Women's Auxiliary to the

National Medical Association The National Medical Association (NMA) is the largest and oldest national organization representing African American physicians and their patients in the United States. The NMA is a 501(c)(3) national professional and scientific organization repr ...

Education and career

Capps was African-American, originally from

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

. After graduating from Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, she earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Howard University in 1927.Howard University,
Bison
' (1927 yearbook). Later, she earned a master's degree and Ph.D. in mathematics and mathematics education; sources differ on whether these graduate degrees were from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

, or the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...

. In 1938, she married John Winston Capps, then teaching at Washington High School and later a Navy radiologist. She became an instructor at the Hampton Institute, a

historically black college Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...

Hampton, Virginia Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the List ...

, and eventually chaired the mathematics department there. In 1956, she was listed as a professor of education at the

South Carolina State College South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is a public, historically black, land-grant university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States. It is the only public, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina, is a me ...

. By 1959, she became a professor at

, where she taught for 25 years.

Service

Capps served as president of the Women's Auxiliary to the

for 1968–1969, setting a presidential theme of "Focusing on Problems of Dynamic Dimensions—Medical Careers, Mental Health, Sex Education". She led the Auxiliary in a boycott against the American Can Company for discrimination against African-Americans, and in joining an umbrella group of societies of African-American women. She was appointed to the Virginia State Council of Higher Education in 1978, becoming the first African-American woman on the council. She also became the first African-American woman on the board of the

Eastern Virginia Medical School Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) is a public medical school in Norfolk, Virginia. Founded by grassroots efforts in the Southeastern part of Virginia known as Hampton Roads, EVMS is not affiliated with an undergraduate institution and co ...

. She was active in the

Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta ...

sorority, becoming in 1929 the founding president of what became the Norfolk Alumnae Chapter of the sorority and for many years afterward the national treasurer. She was also one of the first members of The Moles, a prominent African-American women's social group.

Recognition

In 1959, Capps was named a Fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

. The Urban League of Hampton Roads, a society devoted to African-American social and economic issues that Capps helped found, offers an annual award named for Capps for outstanding contributions to the league's causes through educational activities.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Capps, Marian Palmer 1901 births 2001 deaths People from Norfolk, Virginia 20th-century American mathematicians American women mathematicians African-American mathematicians Delta Sigma Theta members Howard University alumni Hampton University faculty South Carolina State University faculty Norfolk State University faculty Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people