doctoral_advisor death_date children image_size nationality ethnicity name field work_institutions birth_date known_for spouse article_title citizenship alma_mater
william lloyd garrison williams 28 november 1969 james , eugene kaufman , elbert lucien , kenneth 200px usa black elbert frank cox mathematics west virginia state college , howard university 5 december 1895 generalised euler polynomials , generalised boole summation formula beulah kaufman elbert frank cox
 usa indiana , cornell
elbert frank cox

elbert frank cox -lrb- december 5 , 1895 -- november 28 , 1969 -rrb- was an american mathematician who became the first black person in the world to receive a ph.d. in mathematics .
he spent most of his life as a professor at howard university in washington , d.c. , where he was known as an excellent teacher .
during his life , he overcame various difficulties which arose because of his race .
in his honor , the national association of mathematicians established the cox-talbot address , which is annually delivered at the nam 's national meetings .
the elbert f. cox scholarship fund , which is used to help black students pursue studies , is named in his honor as well .
in 1917 after graduating , cox joined the u.s army in world war i .
after he discharged from the army , he began his career as a high school math tutor .
