Christine Ladd-Franklin

Christine Ladd-Franklin was an American psychologist, logician and mathematician, born in Windsor, Connecticut on 1 December 1847 and died in New York City on 5 March 1930. Known before her marriage as Christine Ladd, she graduated from Vassar College in 1869 with the encouragement of the astronomer Maria Mitchell, and wrote many mathematical articles for the Educational Times of London and for The Analyst. In 1878 she was admitted to Johns Hopkins University at the request of James Joseph Sylvester, at first on the condition that she attend only his lectures, and she later attended the logic courses of Charles Peirce, which led to her doctoral thesis The Algebra of Logic. Although she held a three year fellowship stipend she was not entitled to the title of fellow, and her name was not recorded on the university's student list. She is counted among the earliest women to work in American universities.