Elbert Frank Cox was a African American Mathematician who became the first black person in the world to receive a Ph.D., along with being a 40 year teacher and inspiration to future African American Mathematicians. Elbert Frank Cox was born December 5,1895 in Evansville, Indiana. The oldest of three boys born to Johnson D. Cox and Eugenia D. Cox. As a child Elbert showed amazing mathematical and physics skills throughout high school. Following high school Elbert Frank Cox attended Indiana university a school his father had previously worked for. While attending Indiana University Elbert joined the Kappa Alpha Phi fraternity. In 1917 Elbert Cox earned his A.B. ( Bachelor of Arts Degree) at Indiana university. That same year Elbert Frank Cox entered the United States Army serving in world war 1. After serving in the war in France Mr.Cox set out to pursue his career in teaching, and became a …show more content…
in mathematics he suggested that Elbert send his thesis to different countries to ensure it won't be disputed. Japan Imperial University of San Dei accepted after previously being turned down by schools in both England and Germany. Elbert Frank Cox was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1925 at Cornell University. Which was only 39 years after Cornell gave its first Ph.D. in mathematics in 1886. In September of 1925 Elbert Cox became the head of the mathematicians and physics department at West Virginia state college. In 1929, just four years later he moved to Howard University. Mr. Cox stayed at Howard until he retired from the University in 1965, after serving as the mathematics department chairman from 1957-1961. Howard University established the Elbert F. Cox Scholarship fund for undergraduate math majors in 1975 for African Americans