Evelyn Boyd Granville Essay

Evelyn Boyd Granville was the second African-American women to receive a Phd in mathematics from an American University, who also worked on important NASA Space Programs, then settled down to become a Professor. She was born on May 1, 1924, in Washington, D.C., the Great Depression era. Evelyn was the second child and the second girl of William Boyd and Julia Walker Boyd. The first child and first girl was her older sister is Doris Boyd (Evelyn Boyd Granville n. pag). Evelyn’s parents both worked hard to keep their two little girls happy. “Even in the midst of the Depression that devastated this country in the late twenties and early thirties, I was not aware of our family ever being without the necessities of life.” Evelyn says in her biography, My Life as a Mathematician, that she published on the website, Biographies of Women Mathematicians …show more content…
Her mother, a highschool graduate from Virginia, worked as a postal stamp examiner. With the stress of the Great Depression, her parents eventually separated. Evelyn’s mom, Julia Walker, ended up gaining custody of her two little girls. Julia raised her two daughters alongside her twin sister, Louise Walker (Biographies of Women Math Mathematicians n.pag,). Growing up, Evelyn loved school. The school system in Washington, attracted many different teachers and administrators; the teachers were all trained to teach at their own teaching level. Evelyn’s favorite subject in school was mathematics. She had always dreamt of being a mathematics teacher (Granville. My life as a Mathematician. n. pag). She was named salutatorian of her junior high school. She went to the prestigious Dunbar High School, and was then named one of five valedictorians from her graduating class.
Her high school had been home to many significant black leaders. The school was also great in education, it had gained success in a national level (Biography.com Editors