Abstract
William Claytor (1908-1967) entered the graduate program in mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania in 1930 after spending one year in the newly inaugurated master's program at Howard University. A student of J. R. Kline who was himself a student of R. L. Moore, Claytor embraced the point set topology that was then quickly becoming an American area of expertise. By 1933, Claytor had earned his Ph.D. for what Kline praised as “a very fine thesis… perhaps the best that I have ever had done under my supervision” and had begun the process of trying to turn that promising beginning into a productive career as a research mathematician. This paper traces the efforts of Claytor and his supporters to realize such a career as it explores the politics of race that “colored” American academia in the 1930s.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
