Mathematical Institutions and the “In” of the Association for Women in Mathematics

Abstract

To understand the connections between the people, institutions, and ideas of the history of mathematics, subtle differences in wording can make all the difference. From its founding, the Association for Women in Mathematics paid special attention to the difference made by specific prepositions, and the associated nouns and verbs they bring into play. An important early decision was to adopt the preposition “for” in the association’s name, marking the AWM’s mission as advocating for women, as opposed to the emphasis with “of” on the identities of the association’s members.