Dudley Weldon Woodard's Life And Accomplishments

Dudley Weldon Woodard was born on October 3, 1881 in Galveston, Texas, one of Texas finest. There is considered to not be much information about Woodard’s early childhood education in his youth. Woodard’s father was employed within the United States Postal service. His dedication and curiosity to learn was supported by his family, it was considered that he was an only child and lived with his father. Dudley was enrolled and completed his education in Texas, he also attended Wilberforce College in Ohio. Receiving a bachelor’s degree (A.B) in mathematics in 1903.Woodard also attended the University of Chicago where he received a (B.S) degree and a (M.S) degree in mathematics later in the years of 1906 and 1907. Also prior to receiving his (M.S)

It was during this period that he became recognized as one of the gifted mathematicians in the nation. In 1927, Woodard took scholarly leave from Howard and spent a year at Penn, working under the direction of John R. Kline. Woodard received the Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania on June 28, 1928, becoming the thirty-eighth 38th ``person to receive a Ph.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania; more significantly, Woodard became the second African American to earn a Ph.D. degree in mathematics. Woodard, and his wife Gertrude Hadnott had a son on July 29, 1909 who joined the faculty at Howard. Dr. Woodard published three papers; his masters' thesis, "Loci connected with the Problem of Two Bodies" "On Two Dimensional Analysis Situs with Special Reference to the Jordan Curve Theorem and "The Characterization of the Closed N-Cell.” His second publication appears to be the first research paper published in an accredited mathematics journal by an African American. Dr. Woodard was not only an intelligent intellectual mathematician, but a man of high standards; he enjoyed life in spite of his racial environment having forth growing up in segregated