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I want to highlight an outstanding black mathematician William S. Claytor, PhD.
He is someone would have greatly benefitted from consistent support from the mathematical community (and its professional societies) as he navigated his career as a researcher.
He is someone would have greatly benefitted from consistent support from the mathematical community (and its professional societies) as he navigated his career as a researcher.
William S. Claytor was the first black American to publish in a mathematical research journal (his work appeared in the Annals of Mathematics in 1934) and he was the third black American to receive a PhD in Mathematics. He earned his PhD in 1933 at the University of Pennsylvania
Prior to earning his PhD he completed a one-year Master’s in the inaugural year of the program at Howard University. He studied under Dudley Woodard who had recently earned a PhD in Math at the University of Pennsylvania (becoming the second black American to do so).
Claytor published a master’s thesis under the direction of Woodard, and then at his suggestion, applied to the doctoral program in mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania. There he studied under topologist John R. Kline.
He excelled as a doctoral student. Correspondence shows Kline praised Claytor frequently. He wrote the following to R.L. Moore (Kline’s advisor):
“Claytor wrote a very fine thesis. In many ways I think that it is perhaps the best that I have ever had done under my direction.”
“Claytor wrote a very fine thesis. In many ways I think that it is perhaps the best that I have ever had done under my direction.”
After earning his PhD he accepted a position at West Virginia College a historically black college in Institute, WV (now West Virginia State University). It was here that he met a young Katherine Johnson who entered the college at the age of 15.
He recognized Johnson’s talents early and told her she had what it took to be a research mathematician. He encouraged her to take advanced courses and even created courses just for her. This is noted in the first minute of this feature on Johnson.
Claytor found it difficult to continue doing research at West Virginia College given the heavy teaching load. He actively sought opportunities to remedy this. One that is recorded is an application for a National Research Council fellowship to work at Princeton.
This was unsuccessful. While some faculty favored his application, it was noted by university administration that students would object to being taught by a black instructor. He then sought a position at the University of Michigan. He was offered a year position without a stipend
Using savings, he took a year of leave from West Virginia College and left to pursue research work with a renowned group of topologists at the University of Michigan in 1936. He attended an AMS meeting to present results from work produced during this time.
He could not stay in the hotel where the conference was being held as a black man, so he had to find private housing. In spite of this, he gave an excellent talk, “Peanian continua not imbeddable in a spherical surface.” This would be the title of his first publication in 1937
He was awarded a Rosenwald Fellowship in 1937. He tried to use this to study at the Institute for Advanced Study, but was not permitted due to his race. Instead he chose to use the award at the University of Michigan.
He applied for more funding and was awarded another Rosenwald Fellowship to stay at the University of Michigan until 1939. Some individuals tried to arrange a permanent position in the department but this attempt was shut down by administration, again due to Claytor’s race.
In 1939 the IAS could make decisions independent from Princeton, and they offered to accept him. He turned this opportunity down, tired, frustrated and unwilling to enter a potentially hostile environment.
They were able to find a non-academic position for him at Michigan that lasted until 1941, but in this role he was unable to attend research seminars. Eventually, he gave up his attempts to integrate into the mathematical research community, and left Michigan.
He served in the US Army from 1941-1945. After this he taught for two years and then worked at Howard University in 1947. At this time David Blackwell served as the chair of the math department. Claytor worked here until his retirement in 1965. He died in 1967 at the age of 59.
Some may wonder, why he didn’t just take the job at IAS when it finally became available? He had a promising opportunity right there within his grasp. But years of subtle and direct slights and affronts on his attempts to join the mathematical community wore his spirit thin.
Below is a quote from Claytor’s wife after his death:
“I thought about the days Bill used to tell me how owing to the Black-White mess, he had to stay at a private home when the others were at the hotel where the Association met.”
“I thought about the days Bill used to tell me how owing to the Black-White mess, he had to stay at a private home when the others were at the hotel where the Association met.”
“Over the years when the colour-line became less, he never would attend any more meetings. J R Kline used to come to see us periodically and try to get Bill to go with him but I guess the hurt went too deeply with him”
William Claytor's research potential was thwarted due to structural inequity and racism. The experiences of individuals like Claytor have devastating generational consequences. This is not ancient history, Claytor was doing math the same time as my advisor's advisor.
When the best and the brightest individuals have these experiences, what message does it send to aspiring young mathematicians who might want to follow in their footsteps? To the historically uninformed, what message does it send about who has what it takes to be a mathematician?
There are many resources to learn more about Claytor
Here is a bio taken from a NAM Newsletter reprinted on MAA’s site
https://www.maa.org/programs-and-communities/outreach-initiatives/summa/summa-archival-record/william-claytor
NAM hosts its prestigious Claytor-Woodard lecture each year, most recently given by the formidable Chelsea Walton of Rice University
Here is a bio taken from a NAM Newsletter reprinted on MAA’s site
https://www.maa.org/programs-and-communities/outreach-initiatives/summa/summa-archival-record/william-claytor
NAM hosts its prestigious Claytor-Woodard lecture each year, most recently given by the formidable Chelsea Walton of Rice University
There was an article published in the American Mathematical Monthly in 2017:
Mathematics and the Politics of Race: The Case of William Claytor https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.4169/amer.math.monthly.123.3.214
Mathematics and the Politics of Race: The Case of William Claytor https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.4169/amer.math.monthly.123.3.214
Here is a post about Woodard and Claytor from their Alma Matter, University of Pennsylvania. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penns-pioneering-mathematicians
And lastly this blog post that highlights in detail the issues Claytor faced just trying to participate in the larger mathematical research community. https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Claytor/
