Born: 1893
Died: 1985
Biography:
Mary Nicholas Arnoldy (1893–1985) was a Roman Catholic Sister of St. Joseph of Concordia (Kansas), and a mathematician. Along with M. Henrietta Reilly and Mary Domitilla Thuener, she was one of a very few women and Catholic sisters to earn a doctorate in mathematics before 1940.
Mary Nicholas Arnoldy, born Katherine Helen Arnoldy, was the daughter of Anna Katherine Holz and Nicholas Nick Arnoldy. Anna was born in Iowa, while Nicholas was born in Kaschenbach, Bitburg-Prum, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Mary had nine siblings, and her parents had an eighth-grade education. Her father worked as a retail grocer.
Mary attended Catholic grade school in Tipton, Kansas, and later went on to Nazareth Academy in Concordia, Kansas. In 1910, she entered the Nazareth Convent and professed her first vows in 1912, joining the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia. Her oldest sister, Elizabeth, became Sister Mary Modesta before her early death at age 29. Another sister, Mary, became Sister Mary Domitilla and taught biology at the college where Mary Nicholas Arnoldy would eventually pursue her career in mathematics.
Before beginning her doctoral studies, Mary taught in Kansas for 17 years. She taught at schools in Antonino and Emmeram, which were near each other, before relocating to Manhattan, Kansas. In between, she also taught in Schoenchen, where she was part of a group that opened a parochial school in 1904.
While teaching, Mary pursued her undergraduate education. She attended Fort Hays Kansas State Normal School from 1921 to 1923 and was one of the first women to study education at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1923–24, breaking a barrier for women at the institution. She also studied music at Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart in New York City during the winters.
In 1929, Mary finally received her bachelor’s degree from Kansas State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University). The same year, she traveled to Washington, DC, to study at the Catholic University of America, where she earned a master’s degree in mathematics in 1930. She then went on to earn a doctorate in 1932, with minors in physics and education.
After completing her doctorate, Mary returned to Kansas and joined the faculty at Marymount College, which was founded by her congregation in 1921. Marymount College was the first four-year liberal arts college in the area and was established a year after women gained the right to vote.
Throughout her career, Mary made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and education. She dedicated herself to teaching and inspiring countless students. Her achievements as a Catholic sister earning a doctorate in mathematics during a time when few women pursued advanced degrees are a testament to her determination and pioneering spirit.