Born: c. 1940 (West Mifflin, Pennsylvania)
Biography:
Elayne Arrington (born c. 1940) is an American mathematician and engineer who has made significant contributions to her field, despite facing numerous challenges throughout her career. She has been a trailblazer for women, particularly African American women, in the fields of mathematics and engineering.
Arrington was born and raised in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. She attended Homestead High School (now Steel Valley High School), where she demonstrated exceptional aptitude in mathematics, earning the second-highest SAT score in her class with a remarkable 797 out of 800. Despite her academic achievements, she faced discrimination when denied the opportunity to deliver the valedictory address at her graduation. Instead, the speech was assigned to the class president, who was both white and male.
Undeterred by these early obstacles, Arrington was recommended for a full-ride scholarship to study mechanical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. However, the scholarship was withdrawn by the Mesta Machine Company, citing their preference for male recipients, as they believed women do not finish engineering programs. Nevertheless, Arrington persisted and became the first African American woman to graduate from the School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh in 1961. She was also a member of the engineering honorary society, Pi Tau Sigma.
Arrington’s determination to succeed continued as she pursued higher education. She obtained a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Dayton in Ohio, where she also took mathematics courses at Oxford University as a Charles Phelps Taft Fellow. In 1974, she earned her Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati, becoming the 17th African American woman in the United States to achieve this significant milestone. Her doctoral thesis, supervised by Donald B. Parker, focused on the P-Frattini subgroup of a finite group.
After completing her education, Arrington was hired as an aerospace engineer in the Foreign Technology Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. In this role, she conducted performance analyses of Soviet Union aircraft, contributing to the technological advancements of the United States.
In 1974, Arrington returned to the University of Pittsburgh, where she taught in the department of mathematics and statistics. Her passion for education extended beyond the university, as she became a member of the Community College of Allegheny County board in 2007. Throughout her career, Arrington has been highly regarded for her expertise and dedication in the field of mathematics.
Throughout her life, Arrington has faced discrimination and barriers due to her race and gender, but her perseverance and exceptional abilities have shattered stereotypes and opened doors for future generations of women and minorities in mathematics and engineering. Her accomplishments have been a testament to the power of determination and resilience.