Gloria Conyers Hewitt received her MS (1960) and PhD (1962) from the University of Washington, becoming one of the first African-American women nationally to receive a doctorate in mathematics. Her thesis, "Direct and Inverse Limits of Abstract Algebras," was written under the direction of Richard Pierce. Dr. Hewitt became an Assistant Professor in the University of Montana Department of Mathematical Sciences in Fall 1961 and served as Chair of the Department from 1995 to 1999. During her UM tenure, Hewitt raised more than $500,000 in gifts to endow new programs supporting undergraduate and graduate mathematics students. She received a 1999 UM Academic Administrator award for her work and was profiled in the 1998 book “Notable Women in Mathematics.” She retired from UM in 1999 and was bestowed the title of Professor Emeritus by the Montana University System Board of Regents. To celebrate Dr. Gloria C. Hewitt’s many accomplishments and strong leadership in mathematics, the University of Montana and the University of Washington have created scholarships in her name.
Learn more about UW's Gloria Hewitt Endowed Graduate Fellowship.