Bison Trailblazers | Building the Mathematical Mecca: Howard’s Half‑Century of Innovation, Scholarship, and Leadership
by Anna De Cheke Qualls
By any standard, 1976 was a threshold year. When Howard University launched the nation’s first PhD program in mathematics at a Historically Black College or University, it didn’t simply add another graduate credential. It built a durable pipeline—one that would carry generations of Black mathematicians into research, classrooms, laboratories, agencies, and leadership roles around the world. It was also the culmination of decades of work toward what faculty today refer to as building The Mathematical Mecca: a center of excellence in research, teaching, and community service.
But the story of Howard mathematics is older than the modern doctorate. It’s a narrative of continuity—of ideas, people, and purpose—running from the late nineteenth century to today’s research-active department. That throughline begins with Kelly Miller, a foundational figure who helped shape mathematics and science education at Howard at the turn of the 20th century. Often cited as perhaps the first African American to undertake graduate study in mathematics, Miller’s influence extended beyond pedagogy; he laid intellectual and institutional groundwork for a department that would become nationally significant.
By the 1920s and 1930s, Howard had become an unparalleled center for early Black mathematical scholarship. Dudley Weldon Woodard, the second African American to earn a mathematics PhD (1928), was the first mathematics PhD to teach at Howard and initiate the Master's program in 1928. In 1929, he recruited Elbert Frank Cox to the faculty—who, in 1925, became the first Black person in the world to earn a PhD in mathematics. Cox would later emerge not only as a scholar but as a builder and mentor: he supervised a record number of master’s students—often cited as 30. The MS program emphasized rigorous graduate analysis, algebra, geometry/topology, and a thesis grounded in independent work.
William Schieffelin Claytor was the third Black PhD to join the faculty in 1933. Together these three faculty at Howard, anchored a community of scholars whose presence created momentum. They were able to attract some of the earliest Black PhDs to campus, including Dr. George H. Butcher, Jr. The result was a program whose reputation among HBCUs was elite and whose influence radiated far beyond.
The mid-century years added fresh velocity. David Blackwell arrived in 1944 and became department chair in 1947. A brilliant probabilist and statistician—and later the first African American inducted into the National Academy of Sciences—Blackwell helped recruit Claytor and, alongside colleagues like Jeremiah Certaine (assistant professor from 1947–1951), fostered a culture of scholarship that would shape the department for decades. By the time he left for the University of California, Berkeley in 1954, Blackwell had published 20 papers, and Howard Mathematics had deepened its research roots. Cox later chaired the department from 1957 to 1961, part of a lineage of leadership that would culminate in a modern transformation.
That transformation began in earnest in the 1970s. In 1972, Howard attracted James A. Donaldson, then one of the most promising young African American research mathematicians in the country. Under Donaldson’s guidance—and with the counsel of mathematician/physicist/nuclear engineer J. Ernest Wilkins—Howard built the case for, and soon launched, a doctoral program. In 1976, the PhD era officially began, and with it a new chapter: a research-centric department whose graduates would populate faculties, federal agencies, and international universities. In 1984, Howard graduated its first PhD, Abdulkeni Zekeria. By 1990, seven scholars had earned doctorates through the program, which quickly became a major producer of African American PhDs in mathematics in the United States. In the decades that followed, faculty such as Neil Hindman—renowned for his work in topological semigroups and Ramsey theory—and colleagues like Raymond Johnson helped cement the program’s stature and expand its reach.
"I met Jim at the International Congress of Mathematics (ICM) in Canada in 1974. I was a graduate student and I had passed the oral preliminary examination As a kind of reward, I decided to take a train trip across Canada and attend the ICM when I arrived in Vancouver. He was the first Black mathematician I ever met. At first as a New Yorker I found his conversational style rather perplexing. He would often begin with a sly observation; then he would roll forward slowly and deliberately to a witty and often hilar ous conclusion punctuated by his loud and infectious laugh. His tone was wry, sometimes sardonic but always humane. My puzzlement soon turned to admiration and respect. By the time I arrived at Howard in the fall semester of 1978, Donaldson had hired a lively and very distinguished group of young PhD faculty eager to do research and innovative teaching. I learned a tremendous amount about teaching from my peer/colleagues who imparted a wealth of tips and tricks about lecturing, student psychology and grading They inspired me to be creative in my teaching approaches," recalls Dr. Fern Hunt, former faculty member of the department.
Cheyenne Henry, a first-year PhD student already feels a connection to this rich living legacy. "If it was not for the community within the Math Department, I wouldn't be where I am today. They encourage me to keep challenging myself, and expose me to how I can facilitate change through mathematics. The encouragement isn't just words of advice, it is being able witness math alumni, especially women, solidify their marks in the mathematical community."
A Signature Contribution: Riordan Arrays and a Research Community
If mathematics departments are judged by the fields they shape, Howard’s imprint on Riordan arrays stands out. Riordan arrays generalize the familiar structure of Pascal’s triangle, offering a powerful algebraic framework to encode and manipulate entire families of counting rules through generating functions. In practical terms, they are tools for organizing and transforming combinatorial information—compact, elegant engines for uncovering patterns that underlie recursion, algorithms, and discrete models.
Howard mathematicians, notably Lou Shapiro, Seyoum Getu, Wen-Jin Woan, and Leon C. Woodson, were central to the theory’s modern development. Their work helped formalize the Riordan group and turned a loose constellation of techniques into a coherent area of research. Through publications, graduate mentorship, and sustained conference leadership, Howard became one of the intellectual homes of Riordan arrays. When the university hosted the 9th International Conference on Riordan Arrays and Related Topics, it wasn’t just another scholarly gathering; it was a symbolic return to one of the field’s academic hearths.
That legacy continues. Faculty today publish in combinatorics, organize special sessions at major venues like the Joint Mathematics Meetings, and advise doctoral students pushing Riordan theory into new territory. One recent example is Dr. Shakuan Frankson, whose dissertation work on Riordan arrays has earned national attention through conference presentations and professional recognition—evidence that the pipeline forged in 1976 remains very much alive.
From Pure Ideas to Applied Impact
Riordan arrays may be rooted in pure mathematics, but their usefulness extends far into applied domains because they operate on generating functions—the lingua franca of structured processes. Those functions animate probability, statistics, computer science, and data modeling, making Riordan techniques valuable for understanding recursion, analyzing algorithms, and building symbolic computation frameworks. Howard alumni have helped build those bridges. Dr. Asamoah Nkwanta, for instance, has linked combinatorial and algebraic methods to problems in mathematical biology, including the analysis of sequence-based data. More broadly, the department’s methods and mindset have proved relevant to both theoretical and real-world problems, from algorithmic complexity to discrete modeling.
That breadth reflects the department’s wider research portfolio—now spanning pure mathematics, applied mathematics, computational mathematics, mathematical biology, financial mathematics, and statistical sciences—supported by a 65‑faculty body, around 100 undergraduate majors, and roughly 30 graduate students.
"Today Howard offers a BS in Mathematics, a BS in Data Science, and the PhD in Mathematics, with faculty contributing across algebra, topology, analysis, applied mathematics, and STEM education," says Dr. Toni Bourama, Department Chair.
Leaders Train Leaders
A distinctive feature of Howard’s modern success is how often its graduates go on to lead. Alumni from the PhD program have become department chairs and faculty leaders across the country: Dr. Naiomi Cameron at Spelman College; Dr. Asamoah Nkwanta at Morgan State University; and Dr. Lakeshia Legette Jones at Clark Atlanta University, among others. Other graduates have pursued public service in federal agencies such as the National Security Agency, while some have returned to their home countries—including Ghana and Saudi Arabia—to teach and build programs, extending Howard’s influence across continents.
This leadership arc has been matched by the department’s service to the broader mathematical community. Hosting major national and international conferences—including one of the largest AMS regional sectional meetings—Howard has repeatedly acted as a convening hub, a place where ideas cross-pollinate and where students see themselves in the front of the room as well as in the audience. The department’s record of service among HBCUs remains one of the strongest in the nation.
That service also extends deeply into community engagement. For years, Howard Mathematics has offered tutoring in residence halls and libraries, mentored students who became teachers and scholars, and fostered a culture of excellence, perseverance, and community.
"The department has also strengthened nationwide educational equity through partnerships such as the National Education Equity Lab, offering Howard’s College Algebra and Data Analytics courses for credit to Title I high school students across the country—programs that have reached hundreds of scholars, over 90% scholars of color, and awarded meaningful college credit and industry-recognized certification before graduation," observes Bourama.
The Next Proof to Write
As Howard reflects on 50 years of PhD-level mathematics, it is not merely curating a legacy—it is drafting a blueprint for the decades ahead. One urgent priority is space: securing a dedicated building or a full instructional floor so that mathematics is no longer the only STEM discipline at the university without a permanent teaching home. Another is scale: growing the graduate program to at least 50 students, the kind of critical mass that amplifies research output, diversifies expertise, and continues to cement national influence.
Additionally, Howard University has enrolled an increasing number of exceptionally talented undergraduate mathematics majors in recent years. To further strengthen the mathematics program and better support these students, the department plans to propose the development and implementation of an accelerated 4+1 BS/MS program in Mathematics. The faculty believe that such a program is essential for an R1 institution, as Howard's peers already offer similar accelerated pathways to retain high-achieving students, enhance academic rigor, and strengthen preparation for advanced study and professional careers.
"Equally important are goals related to teaching excellence and service. The department plans to continue strengthening undergraduate research opportunities, expanding conferences and workshops, and deepening its service to Howard students and the broader university, while maintaining its role as a national leader in doctoral education at an HBCU," observe Dr. Dennis Davenport, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies.
Continuity as a Calling
A half-century after inaugurating its PhD program, Howard stands where it has so often stood: at the confluence of opportunity and ambition, turning abstract structures into real-world pathways, and proving—again—that when access meets excellence, the results are transformative.
"What truly distinguishes Howard’s Mathematics Department is continuity. From Kelly Miller and Elbert Frank Cox through the modern PhD era and into today’s research-active faculty and alumni leaders, Howard has served as a sustained center of mathematical excellence. Through hosting major conferences, training undergraduate and graduate researchers, and producing leaders in academia, government, and education worldwide, the department has shaped not only individual careers but the broader mathematical community. As it reflects on 50 years of PhD-level mathematics, the department is equally focused on defining what the next 50 years of inclusive, high-impact mathematics will look like," says Davenport.
Ashlyn Lee, first-year PhD student believes the department will continue to engage in even more collaborative research. "I believe that parts of Mathematics will shift towards more interdisciplinary applications, like data science and AI, which Howard is already starting to prepare for with its new Data Science program. But I also think the traditional curiosity of pure Mathematics will still exist, especially for its critical thinking and problem-solving skills."
Howard’s trajectory forms what faculty often describe using mathematical metaphors inspired by Cox himself: a fixed point of enduring excellence, an invariance under transformation, and a solution whose exponential growth continues to open horizons for the next hundred years of scholars.
Photo credits: Indiana University 1917 Yearbook, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, Mathematically Gifted and Black, Morgan State University, National Research Foundation, Mathematicians of the African Diaspora, Dr. Dennis Davenport