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Pauline Sperry was born on March 5, 1885, in Peabody, Massachusetts, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Gardiner Sperry. She attended Olivet College from 1902 to 1904 and Smith College from 1904 to 1908, receiving from the latter institution the B.A. in 1906 and the M.A. in Music in 1908. From 1908 to 1912 she was Instructor of Mathematics at Smith. She then pursued graduate studies in Mathematics at the University of Chicago and in 1916 received the Ph.D. degree. She returned to Smith as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and the following year, 1917, accepted an Instructorship in Mathematics at Berkeley, where she spent the rest of her academic life. She was appointed Assistant Professor in 1923 and Associate Professor in 1931. She retired in 1952. On September 24, 1967, she died in Pacific Grove, California.
Dr. Sperry's main field of research was projective differential geometry. At the time of her dissertation this field was just awakening and was soon to grow in importance due to its close connection with the theory of General Relativity. It was a valuable service to this field when she published the comprehensive Bibliography of Projective Differential Geometry in 1931.
A striking feature of her personality was her desire to help others, which accounts for the fact that most of her research activity was directed towards the inspiration of her numerous doctor's candidates.
She will also be remembered by her many undergraduate students for her enthusiasm and devotion as a teacher of young minds. One of the undersigned can recall a calculus course given four decades ago by Dr. Sperry which had, besides the regular five hours per week, an additional unofficial weekly meeting for those who wished to learn of the mathematics lying off the main path of the calculus. These sessions opened the mind to many important topics and thus helped greatly in preparing the student for future graduate work in mathematics.
Her concern for the undergraduate student led her to the preparation of two textbooks in freshmen mathematics. At a time when interest in improving the teaching of mathematics in California was still quite young she took an active part in the organization of various professional societies. In recognition of this activity she was made Chairman of the Northern California Section of the Mathematical Association of America in 1945.
Pauline Sperry was raised as a Quaker and throughout her life she practiced her ethical beliefs regardless of the sacrifices they might entail. Thus in 1950 when she felt that the loyalty oath then required of Professors by The Regents encroached on the political freedom of the University, she refused to sign. She was consequently fired as undesirable after a third of a century of devoted service. After protracted litigation she was reinstated shortly befor her retirement. During this trying experience she felt that she was fighting for, not against, the University she loved.
After retirement she made her home in Carmel. As time went on she spent most of her energy on charitable projects, her last being the founding of an orphanage-school in a village in Haiti. In the end, she knew that her efforts had been instrumental in saving from starvation and ignorance some 50 impoverished children and this satisfaction embellished her last years.
D. H. Lehmer
Hans Lewy
R. M. Robinson
Dr. Sperry's main field of research was projective differential geometry. At the time of her dissertation this field was just awakening and was soon to grow in importance due to its close connection with the theory of General Relativity. It was a valuable service to this field when she published the comprehensive Bibliography of Projective Differential Geometry in 1931.
A striking feature of her personality was her desire to help others, which accounts for the fact that most of her research activity was directed towards the inspiration of her numerous doctor's candidates.
She will also be remembered by her many undergraduate students for her enthusiasm and devotion as a teacher of young minds. One of the undersigned can recall a calculus course given four decades ago by Dr. Sperry which had, besides the regular five hours per week, an additional unofficial weekly meeting for those who wished to learn of the mathematics lying off the main path of the calculus. These sessions opened the mind to many important topics and thus helped greatly in preparing the student for future graduate work in mathematics.
Her concern for the undergraduate student led her to the preparation of two textbooks in freshmen mathematics. At a time when interest in improving the teaching of mathematics in California was still quite young she took an active part in the organization of various professional societies. In recognition of this activity she was made Chairman of the Northern California Section of the Mathematical Association of America in 1945.
Pauline Sperry was raised as a Quaker and throughout her life she practiced her ethical beliefs regardless of the sacrifices they might entail. Thus in 1950 when she felt that the loyalty oath then required of Professors by The Regents encroached on the political freedom of the University, she refused to sign. She was consequently fired as undesirable after a third of a century of devoted service. After protracted litigation she was reinstated shortly befor her retirement. During this trying experience she felt that she was fighting for, not against, the University she loved.
After retirement she made her home in Carmel. As time went on she spent most of her energy on charitable projects, her last being the founding of an orphanage-school in a village in Haiti. In the end, she knew that her efforts had been instrumental in saving from starvation and ignorance some 50 impoverished children and this satisfaction embellished her last years.
D. H. Lehmer
Hans Lewy
R. M. Robinson
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