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{{short description|American mathematician and astronomer}}
'''Ellen Amanda Hayes''' (September 23, 1851 &ndash; October 27, 1930) was an American mathematician and astronomer. Born in [[Granville, Ohio]], she graduated from [[Oberlin College]] in 1878 and began teaching at [[Adrian College]]. From 1879 to her 1916 retirement, she taught at [[Wellesley College]], where she became head of the mathematics department in 1888 and head of the new department in [[applied mathematics]] in 1897.<ref>Grinstein and Campbell, 63</ref> Hayes was also active in [[astronomy]], determining the orbit of newly-discovered [[267 Tirza]] while studying at the [[Leander McCormick Observatory]] at the [[University of Virginia]].<ref>Grinstein and Campbell, 65</ref>
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Ellen Hayes
| image = EllenAmandaHayes1915.png
| image_size =
| alt = An older white woman, her grey hair in an updo, wearing glasses, a high-collared blouse, and a dark jacket
| caption = Ellen Amanda Hayes, from a 1915 publication
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1851|09|23}}
| birth_place = [[Granville, Ohio]], [[United States|US]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1930|10|27|1851|09|23}}
| death_place = [[Wellesley, Massachusetts]], [[United States|US]]
| nationality = American
| fields = [[Mathematics]]<br/>[[Astronomy]]
| workplaces = [[Adrian College]]<br />[[Wellesley College]]<br /> [[University of Virginia]]
| alma_mater = [[Oberlin College]]
| doctoral_advisor =
| doctoral_students =
| awards =
}}
'''Ellen Amanda Hayes''' (September 23, 1851{{spnd}}October 27, 1930) was an American [[mathematician]] and astronomer. She was a controversial figure, not only because of being a female college professor, but also for embracing many radical causes.


==Early life==
Hayes wrote a number of mathematics textbooks. She also wrote ''Wild Turkeys and Tallow Candles'' (1920), an account of life in Granville, and ''The Sycamore Trail'' (1929), a historical novel.<ref>http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/hayes.htm</ref>
Hayes was born in [[Granville, Ohio]], the first of six children to Ruth Rebecca (Wolcott) Hayes and Charles Coleman Hayes.<ref name=moskol>{{cite book|title=Women in Mathematics: A Biobibliographic Sourcebook|year=1987|publisher=[[Greenwood Press]]|location=New York|isbn=978-0-313-24849-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/womenofmathemati0000unse/page/62 62–66]|author=Ann Moskol|url=https://archive.org/details/womenofmathemati0000unse/page/62}}</ref> At the age of seven she studied at the Centerville school, a one-room ungraded public school and, in 1867, at sixteen, was employed to teach at a country school.<ref name=moskol /> In 1872, she entered the preparatory department at [[Oberlin College]] and was admitted as a freshman in 1875, where her main studies were mathematics and science.<ref name=moskol />


⚫
==Work==
⚫
Hayes was a controversial figure not just for being a rare female mathematics professor in 19th century America, but for her embrace of radical causes like questioning the Bible and gender clothing conventions, [[suffrage]], [[temperance]], [[socialism]], the [[1912 Lawrence Textile Strike]], and [[Sacco and Vanzetti]]. She was the [[Socialist Party USA|Socialist Party]] candidate for [[Massachusetts Secretary of State]] in 1912, the first woman in state history to run for statewide office. She did not win the race, but did receive more votes than any Socialist candidate on the ballot, including 2500 more than their gubernatorial candidate.<ref>Grinstein and Campbell, 64</ref>
Three years after admission, Hayes obtained bachelor's degree from Oberlin in 1878 and began teaching at [[Adrian College]].<ref name=moskol /> Also active in [[astronomy]], she determined the orbit of the newly discovered asteroid [[267 Tirza]] while studying at the [[Leander McCormick Observatory]] at the [[University of Virginia]].<ref name=moskol />


From 1879 until her retirement in 1916, Hayes taught at [[Wellesley College]], where she became head of the mathematics department in 1888 and head of the new department in [[applied mathematics]] in 1897.<ref name=moskol /> According to one of her colleagues, she was removed from being head of the mathematics department due to disputes over her admission policy.<ref name=moskol /> Hayes wore utilitarian clothes instead of the fashionable garments worn by many women of the day and she was described as "strong willed."<ref name=moskol />
⚫
Hayes was concerned about under-representation of women in mathematics and science and argued that this was due to social pressure and the emphasis on female appearance, the lack of employment opportunities in those fields for women, and schools which allowed female students to opt out of math and science courses.<ref>Grinstein and Campbell, 65</ref>


As a mathematics professor, she was described as controversial. She questioned the truth of the [[Bible]] in front of students.<ref name=moskol /> She had very high standards of education, giving more than half of her students D grades during the first year she taught from her trigonometry book.<ref name=moskol /> Despite her rigorous teaching style, she had a loyal following of students.<ref name=moskol />
Her will left her brain to the [[Wilder Brain Collection]] at [[Cornell University]]. Her ashes were buried in Granville, Ohio.<ref>Grinstein and Campbell, 64</ref>


In 1888, Hayes wrote a regular column for the Wellesley College newspaper discussing [[Women's suffrage in the United States|women's suffrage]] and [[dress reform]], and in the 1890s she founded a chapter of the [[Temperance movement in the United States|temperance movement]].<ref name=moskol />
⚫
==Notes==
<references/>


In 1891, Hayes was elected one of the first six women to become members of the [[New York Mathematical Society]] (later the American Mathematical Society).<ref name=riddle /> She was named a Fellow of the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] in 1905.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aaas.org/fellows/historic|title=Historic Fellows|publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science|access-date=2021-04-22}}</ref>
⚫
==References==

* Louise S. Grinstein (Editor), Paul J. Campbell (Editor) (1987). ''Women of Mathematics: A Bio-Bibliographic Sourcebook''. [[Greenwood Press]], New York. ISBN 978-0313248498. p. 62–66
A history of Wellesley College reads:

{{blockquote|1=A dauntless radical all her days, in the eighties she was wearing short skirts; in the nineties she was a staunch advocate of Woman's Suffrage; in the first two decades of the twentieth century, an ardent Socialist. After her retirement, and until her death in 1930, she was actively connected with an experiment in adult education for working girls. Fearless, devoted, intransigent, fanatical, if you like, and at times a thorn in the flesh of the trustees, who withheld the title of Emeritus on her retirement, she is remembered with enthusiasm and affection by many of her students.|2=History of Wellesley College|3=<ref name=riddle />}}

==Women in math==
⚫
Hayes was concerned about under-representation of women in mathematics and science and argued that this was due to social pressure, emphasis on female appearances, lack of employment opportunities for women in mathematics and science fields, and schools that allowed female students to opt out of mathematics and science courses.<ref name=moskol />

==Social causes==
⚫
Hayes was a controversial figure not just for being one of the rare women among mathematics professors in nineteenth-century America, but for her embrace of radical causes such as questioning the Bible, gender-related clothing conventions, [[suffrage]], [[temperance movement|temperance]], [[socialism]], the [[1912 Lawrence Textile Strike]], and [[Sacco and Vanzetti]] case.<ref name=moskol />

She was the [[Socialist Party USA|Socialist Party]] candidate for [[Massachusetts Secretary of State]] in 1912, the first woman in state history to run for statewide office.<ref name=moskol /> She did not win the race, but did receive more votes than any Socialist candidate on the ballot, including 2500 more than for their gubernatorial candidate.<ref name=moskol /> During the Russian Revolution, despite [[First Red Scare|anti-Red]] sentiment, she raised money for Russian orphans and defended socialism.<ref name=moskol /> At the age of 76, she was arrested for marching in protest of the execution of [[Nicola Sacco]] and [[Bartolomeo Vanzetti]].<ref name = moskol />

==Later life==
Hayes wrote ''Wild Turkeys and Tallow Candles'' (1920), an account of life in Granville, “How Do You Know? A Handbook of Evidence and Inference” (1923) and ''The Sycamore Trail'' (1929), a historical novel.<ref name=riddle>{{cite web|url=http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/hayes.htm|title=Ellen Amanda Hayes|last=Riddle|first=Larry|year=1995|work=Biographies of Women Mathematicians|publisher=Agnes Scott College|access-date=February 11, 2011}}</ref>

In 1929, she moved to [[West Park, New York]] to teach at Vineyard Shore School for women workers in industry, despite her pain from arthritis.<ref name=moskol /> She died on October 27, 1930.<ref name = moskol /> Her will left her brain to the [[Wilder Brain Collection]] at [[Cornell University]]. Her ashes were buried in Granville, Ohio.<ref name=moskol />

⚫
== References ==
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Ellen Hayes |sopt=t}}
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=43373526 Find a Grave]
* {{Find a Grave|43373526}}

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Ellen Amanda}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Ellen Amanda}}
[[Category:Women mathematicians]]
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[[Category:Oberlin College alumni]]
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[[Category:Wellesley College faculty]]
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[[Category:People from Licking County, Ohio]]
[[Category:People from Granville, Ohio]]
[[Category:Socialist Party USA politicians]]
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[[Category:Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science]]
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[[Category:19th-century American women scientists]]

Latest revision as of 17:40, 23 March 2024

Ellen Hayes
An older white woman, her grey hair in an updo, wearing glasses, a high-collared blouse, and a dark jacket
Ellen Amanda Hayes, from a 1915 publication
Born(1851-09-23)September 23, 1851
Granville, Ohio, US
DiedOctober 27, 1930(1930-10-27) (aged 79)
Wellesley, Massachusetts, US
NationalityAmerican
Alma materOberlin College
Scientific career
FieldsMathematics
Astronomy
InstitutionsAdrian College
Wellesley College
University of Virginia

Ellen Amanda Hayes (September 23, 1851 – October 27, 1930) was an American mathematician and astronomer. She was a controversial figure, not only because of being a female college professor, but also for embracing many radical causes.

Early life[edit]

Hayes was born in Granville, Ohio, the first of six children to Ruth Rebecca (Wolcott) Hayes and Charles Coleman Hayes.[1] At the age of seven she studied at the Centerville school, a one-room ungraded public school and, in 1867, at sixteen, was employed to teach at a country school.[1] In 1872, she entered the preparatory department at Oberlin College and was admitted as a freshman in 1875, where her main studies were mathematics and science.[1]

Work[edit]

Three years after admission, Hayes obtained bachelor's degree from Oberlin in 1878 and began teaching at Adrian College.[1] Also active in astronomy, she determined the orbit of the newly discovered asteroid 267 Tirza while studying at the Leander McCormick Observatory at the University of Virginia.[1]

From 1879 until her retirement in 1916, Hayes taught at Wellesley College, where she became head of the mathematics department in 1888 and head of the new department in applied mathematics in 1897.[1] According to one of her colleagues, she was removed from being head of the mathematics department due to disputes over her admission policy.[1] Hayes wore utilitarian clothes instead of the fashionable garments worn by many women of the day and she was described as "strong willed."[1]

As a mathematics professor, she was described as controversial. She questioned the truth of the Bible in front of students.[1] She had very high standards of education, giving more than half of her students D grades during the first year she taught from her trigonometry book.[1] Despite her rigorous teaching style, she had a loyal following of students.[1]

In 1888, Hayes wrote a regular column for the Wellesley College newspaper discussing women's suffrage and dress reform, and in the 1890s she founded a chapter of the temperance movement.[1]

In 1891, Hayes was elected one of the first six women to become members of the New York Mathematical Society (later the American Mathematical Society).[2] She was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1905.[3]

A history of Wellesley College reads:

A dauntless radical all her days, in the eighties she was wearing short skirts; in the nineties she was a staunch advocate of Woman's Suffrage; in the first two decades of the twentieth century, an ardent Socialist. After her retirement, and until her death in 1930, she was actively connected with an experiment in adult education for working girls. Fearless, devoted, intransigent, fanatical, if you like, and at times a thorn in the flesh of the trustees, who withheld the title of Emeritus on her retirement, she is remembered with enthusiasm and affection by many of her students.

— History of Wellesley College, [2]

Women in math[edit]

Hayes was concerned about under-representation of women in mathematics and science and argued that this was due to social pressure, emphasis on female appearances, lack of employment opportunities for women in mathematics and science fields, and schools that allowed female students to opt out of mathematics and science courses.[1]

Social causes[edit]

Hayes was a controversial figure not just for being one of the rare women among mathematics professors in nineteenth-century America, but for her embrace of radical causes such as questioning the Bible, gender-related clothing conventions, suffrage, temperance, socialism, the 1912 Lawrence Textile Strike, and Sacco and Vanzetti case.[1]

She was the Socialist Party candidate for Massachusetts Secretary of State in 1912, the first woman in state history to run for statewide office.[1] She did not win the race, but did receive more votes than any Socialist candidate on the ballot, including 2500 more than for their gubernatorial candidate.[1] During the Russian Revolution, despite anti-Red sentiment, she raised money for Russian orphans and defended socialism.[1] At the age of 76, she was arrested for marching in protest of the execution of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti.[1]

Later life[edit]

Hayes wrote Wild Turkeys and Tallow Candles (1920), an account of life in Granville, “How Do You Know? A Handbook of Evidence and Inference” (1923) and The Sycamore Trail (1929), a historical novel.[2]

In 1929, she moved to West Park, New York to teach at Vineyard Shore School for women workers in industry, despite her pain from arthritis.[1] She died on October 27, 1930.[1] Her will left her brain to the Wilder Brain Collection at Cornell University. Her ashes were buried in Granville, Ohio.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Ann Moskol (1987). Women in Mathematics: A Biobibliographic Sourcebook. New York: Greenwood Press. pp. 62–66. ISBN 978-0-313-24849-8.
  2. ^ a b c Riddle, Larry (1995). "Ellen Amanda Hayes". Biographies of Women Mathematicians. Agnes Scott College. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
  3. ^ "Historic Fellows". American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved April 22, 2021.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ellen_Hayes&oldid=1215189686"