This past week I received at home the membership literature of the United
States Mathematical Association of America. I have belonged for many years.
However, my membership goes to my institutional address. Otherwise I might
not have received the literature. Anyway, it says: "If history's great
mathematicians were alive today, they would be members of MAA." Then the
literature goes on to mention the "great luminaries" of history. 29 are
listed, one of which is a woman, Julia Robinson. Now, mind you, I would not
negate anyone's research or esteem in the mathematics community. However,
shouldn't MAA have thought that Emmy Noether was a "great luminary?" What
about Sophie Germain, Maria Agnesi, Ada Lovelace, or even Hypatia? MAA
mentions Bernard Bolzano, Ron Graham, Richard Dedekind, Paul Halmos, Andrew
Wiles, Lars Ahlfors and John Horton Conway, but not Sonja Kovalevskaya.
I would think that an organization, with members such as Fred Rickey and
Victor Katz who have worked closely with MAA, would have been more
enlightened.
I guess the woman I am researching at the present, Florence Nightingale, will
never make MAA's "great luminary" list.
Karen Dee Michalowicz
HPM, Treasurer, Americas Section
Adjunct George Mason University