Blackwell, David, 1919-2010

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David Blackwell (b. April 24, 1919, Centralia, IL–d. July 8, 2010, Berkeley, CA) was the first African American inducted into the National Academy of Sciences, the first black tenured faculty member at UC Berkeley, and the seventh African American to receive a Ph.D. in Mathematics. He received degrees in mathematics from the University of Illinois. He did post-doctoral work as a fellow at Institute for Advanced Study in 1941. Seeking a professional position he was interviewed bu statistician Jerzy Neyman at University of California, Berkeley. Neyman supported his appointment but Blackwell was rejected because he was black. He taught at Southern University, Clark University, and Howard University. Eventually he was hired as a full professor in the newly created Statistics Department at UC Berkeley in 1955 and spent the rest of his career there until retiring in 1988.
Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Exceptional black scientists collection, 1971-1986, 1980-1984 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
referencedIn CIBA-GEIGY Corporation. Exceptional black scientists collection, 1971-1986 (bulk 1980-1984). New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Frederick Mosteller Papers, 1934-2005 American Philosophical Society
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American mathematical society corporateBody
associatedWith CIBA-GEIGY Corporation. corporateBody
employeeOf Clark University (Atlanta, Ga.) corporateBody
associatedWith Girshick, Meyer A., 1908-1955 person
employeeOf Howard University corporateBody
associatedWith Institute for advanced study Princeton, N.J. corporateBody
memberOf Institute of Mathematical Statistics. corporateBody
associatedWith Mosteller, Frederick, 1916-2006 person
memberOf National Academy of Sciences (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Neyman, Jerzy, 1894-1981 person
employeeOf Rand corporation corporateBody
employeeOf Southern University and A&M College corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign corporateBody
associatedWith Von Neumann, John, 1903-1957 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Centralia IL US
Berkeley CA US
United States 00 US
Subject
Occupation
College teachers
Mathematicians
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Person

Birth 1919-04-24

Death 2010-07-08

Americans

English

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