[HM] The MAA and Women in Mathematics
Thomas Drucker (tld@globalim.com)
Sat, 7 Nov 1998 17:36:25 -0500
David Fowler's observation about the limitations of Boyer's history is
a reminder of the kind of criteria Boyer was using to determine who made it
into his text. It seems unfair to criticize (as a subsequent poster did)
the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) for its failure to do justice
to the role of women in mathematics. Both the MAA and the American
Mathematical Society have been studious in encouraging women contributors to
their journals and to their meetings. It may be a matter for reflection
that the bulk of mathematical luminaries of the past have been men, but the
MAA is doing its collective best to make sure that women are welcomed into
mathematics and have their work recognized for its merits. Searching the
past for role models can easily lead to a falsification of the historical
record, although Prof. Fowler points out that that record needs to be held
to a certain standard of fairness.
Thomas Drucker
tld@globalim.com