October 23, 2023

Reggie Dao

11th Grade

Fountain Valley High School

Marjorie Lee Browne, one of the most influential women in STEM, laid the pathway to the feminist movement regarding the area. She was born on September 9, 1914. She soon would accomplish many mathematical achievements and become a respected figure of African-American women's suffrage in the modern world of mathematics. Browne was an African-American analytical prodigy who enjoyed solving difficult arithmetic and held a passion for learning, ultimately earning herself a Ph.D. Not only did she become one of the few women to hold the title in 1949, but the impact of her work guided her to being the first African-American woman to obtain a prestigious academic degree in the strenuous and competitive fields of abstract mathematics.

 It all started from humble beginnings in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Her success skyrocketed by going to the best schools and teaching at colleges, allowing her students to expand and cultivate their knowledge in learning. Graduating with a Cum Laude at her bachelor's degree in math, derived from the hard work and effort she put in her undergraduate years at the University of Howard located in Washington D.C. In her years as a teacher, she decided to put greater effort into advocating STEM education by earning reputable achievements through her teaching programs, like the NSF, Shell, and IBM. Her passionate work was most prominent among the multitudes of schools she worked with, which included North Carolina College. Staying in this college for most of her life, she posed herself as a triple threat of being the principal, activities coordinator of the math department, and professor for the summer institutions. 

Another groundbreaking moment during her life appeared when a company - the Ford Foundation, reached out to her and offered a scholarship to study complex concepts of shapes and geometry, known as topology at Cambridge University. Her journey to visiting colleges didn’t stop there, as she moved on to study numerical analysis at the highly honored university of UCLA and take part in a significant project for working on the first successful computer center. Browne was also considerate towards her students, achieving charitable acts by providing funds to young people, and fulfilling their futures thanks to her kindness. Varying from succeeding in her specialties of abstract algebra to passing her cognition to gifted individuals, she stands high with so much respect in the world of education. Her bright and loving attitude towards math and those who wanted to pursue furthering their studies made her unique and a true mathematician who announced, “If I had to live my life again, I wouldn’t do anything else. I love mathematics.” Browne’s contribution to her priority of education was what made her one of the most admirable figures in math. Shifting the STEM demographic to a POC and women-friendly environment that leads our modern STEM programs to constantly grow, involve more gifted young people of all backgrounds, and have an undying love for learning. The thoughtfulness of her mentoring and talented ability to win award after award, truly made her a real mathematician.