Sister Mary Cleophas, born Linetta Anna Garvin, (11 December 1899 – 16 January 1990) was an American mathematician.

Early life

Linetta Garvin was born in

Vickery, Ohio Vickery is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in western Townsend Township, Sandusky County, Ohio, United States. It has a post office with the ZIP code 43464 and a volunteer fire department called Townsend Township FD. ...

, one of six children of Odelia Margaret and automobile and meat salesman Austin Edward Garwin. Biography on p.199-201 of th
Supplementary Material
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AMS
/ref> After graduating from the Notre Dame Academy in Toledo, Ohio in 1917, she joined the

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1918, and took holy vows in 1920 and 1923, with the name Mary Cleophas recalling her brother Cleophus, who died in childhood.

Education and career

With the Sisters of Notre Dame, Mary Cleophas became a high school teacher in Cleveland. During this time, she studied part-time at

Fordham University Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...

, earning a bachelor's degree there in 1927. She became a full-time student in 1929, and earned her master’s in physics in 1931 and a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1934 from

St. Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...

. On completing her doctorate, she became professor of mathematics and physics and head of the mathematics department at

Notre Dame College Notre Dame College (Notre Dame College of Ohio or NDC) is a private Roman Catholic college in South Euclid, Ohio. Established in 1922 as a women's college, it has been coeducational since January 2001. Notre Dame College offers 30 majors and ind ...

. She remained there for 50 years, as a professor until retiring in 1975 and as an archivist until 1984.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Garvin, Mary Cleophas 1899 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American mathematicians Fordham University alumni People from Sandusky County, Ohio Saint Louis University alumni Saint Louis University mathematicians Saint Louis University physicists Notre Dame College (Ohio)