By Yousef Alavi, Western Michigan University. Originally published in the Michigan Section Newsletter, Vol. 12, No. 1, December 1985. Updated June 1990 and May 1999 by John W. Petro, Western Michigan University. Updated May 2005 by Jerrold W. Grossman, Oakland University.
This history is dedicated to the memory of Professor T. H. Hildebrandt, the long-time chairman of the University of Michigan Department of Mathematics. Not only are the early recollections herewith his direct contributions; he was unquestionably the father and the early shepherd of our Michigan Section. — Yousef Alavi, 1985
In the State of Michigan in the early 1920's the state organization which concerned itself with mathematics and its teaching was the Michigan Schoolmasters' Club, organized in 1894 to give high school teachers an opportunity to meet and discuss their problems. It met once a year, usually around April 1, and had sections called conferences which reflected the various disciplines of the high school program at the time. So it included also a Mathematics Conference.
At the 1922 meeting of the Mathematics Conference of the Schoolmasters' Club, T. H. Hildebrandt noted that there were present a number of staff members of the University of Michigan, the normal schools of the state, and some of the colleges. However, the meeting concerned teaching. It occurred to him that it might be possible to organize a section of the Mathematical Association of America for the State of Michigan as had been done in other parts of the country. As a consequence he brought the matter up for discussion at a meeting of the Mathematics Club of the University of Michigan, which then consisted in the main of staff members. It was decided that the best procedure was to write to the heads of departments in the colleges and normal schools of the state and find out whether such a project would be of interest to their departments. The result of this survey was that there was general approval for such a move and it was suggested that perhaps the organizational meeting could be held in connection with the meetings of the Schoolmasters' Club in April of 1923.
The chairman of the Mathematics Conference of the Club for that year was Professor Harold E. Blair of then Western State Normal School at Kalamazoo (now Western Michigan University). With his collaboration the material on the program of the meeting for that year included aspects of the relationship between high school and collegiate mathematics teaching. It was also arranged that the last part of the afternoon session of the Conference would be set aside for taking steps towards the organization of a Section of the Mathematical Association of America. To expedite matters a committee of the staff at the University of Michigan had drawn up a tentative constitution and by-laws in advance of the meeting.
The meeting was held as planned. About 35 members of the Association from the State of Michigan were present, as well as some potential members. T. H. Hildebrandt was elected temporary chairman. W. B. Ford, who was at the time the editor of the American Mathematical Monthly, gave a talk outlining the history of the Association, its organization, and its aims, particularly in meeting needs of the collegiate teachers of mathematics. The constitution and by-laws submitted were adopted with few changes.
Officers for the ensuing year consisted of T. H. Hildebrandt as chairman, John P. Everett of Kalamazoo as secretary/treasurer, and E. R. Sleight of Albion as third member of the Executive Committee. It was voted to apply for a charter to the Mathematical Association of America with those who wished to join before June 1 becoming charter members of the Section. It was agreed to meet as a separate body in April of the next year, but have some sort of joint session with the Michigan Schoolmasters' Club. The following institutions were represented at the organizational meeting: University of Michigan, Michigan State College at East Lansing (now Michigan State University), Normal Schools at Ypsilanti, Kalamazoo, and Mount Pleasant (now Eastern, Western, and Central Michigan Universities); Albion, Alma, Hope, and Olivet Colleges, and Detroit Junior College.
The first regular meeting of the Section was held on April 3, 1924 with 57 persons present, of whom 36 were members of the Association. Six papers were presented at the meeting. The Section acknowledged its indebtedness to the Mathematics Conference of the Schoolmasters' Club and met with the conference at lunch. During the year preceding, the question of the relation of the Section to the Michigan Academy of Sciences was explored. This academy was started mainly by college teachers of the natural sciences and did not have a section devoted to mathematics. It did not seem to be advisable to have two groups in the State of Michigan devoted to collegiate mathematics. So consultation with the officers of the Academy yielded the idea of establishing a Mathematics Section in the Michigan Academy of Sciences, whose program would be presented by the Michigan Section of the Mathematical Association of America. The chairman of the Michigan Section would function in both organizations. At this first meeting it was decided to request such an organization in the Michigan Academy of Sciences, which was approved. For many years thereafter, the Michigan Section of the MAA functioned as the Mathematics Section of the Michigan Academy of Arts, Letters and Sciences. Two mathematicians served as president of the Michigan Academy of Sciences: Alfred L. Nelson, 1946-47, and J. Sutherland Frame, 1958-59.
Participation in the meetings of the Section was limited initially to staff members of colleges and universities in Michigan. However, some members of the staff at the University of Toledo expressed an interest in meeting with the Section and an invitation was extended for them to do so. This group participated even to the extent of furnishing a chairman of the Section at one time. This contact was dropped after World War II. Attendance at the meetings increased gradually from the initial 57 persons with 36 members of the Association present until the beginning of World War II, during which it dropped to 43 and 33, respectively, for the meeting of 1943, while the meeting for 1945 was omitted entirely. Since 1945 the attendance again increased with the increase in collegiate mathematics faculty in the state, so that in 1965 the attendance was 140, in 1975 it was 160, in 1985 again 140, and in 1989 it was over 200, most being members of the MAA.
At the beginning, the Michigan Academy of Sciences was holding all of its meeting in Ann Arbor in the spring, and the Section met with them. However, some members of the Section felt the need for having the Section meeting at their institutions. As a consequence it was decided in 1934 to hold two meetings each year, one being around Thanksgiving at a place other than Ann Arbor, and continue with the spring meeting in Ann Arbor in conjunction with the Academy. This was done in alternate years until World War II, and while the attendance for the fall meeting was not quite as good as for the spring, the Section enjoyed being the guest of the collegiate institutions of the state. After World War II the Michigan Academy decided to meet in places other than Ann Arbor in alternate years, which of course included the Mathematics Section, so the second meeting of the Section in the fall of the year was dropped.
In 1963 the Michigan Academy adopted a policy that only members of the Academy could present papers at the meetings of the Academy. Although the additional expense would be small, this action resulted in a resolution being proposed to the Section in 1963 that the Section withdraw as the Mathematics Section of the Michigan Academy. Action was not taken on this proposal immediately, but the Section did begin meeting later in the spring of each year, separately from the Academy. Finally, after the Academy decided to enforce its policy on membership in the Academy, it was voted at the annual meeting of the Section in 1970 to disassociate the Section from the Academy.
In the business meeting of 1935, the question of stimulating mathematics among undergraduates was brought up, and the suggestion was made of possibly inaugurating prize contests. A committee was appointed to investigate the matter. The committee, with Professor E. R. Sleight of Albion College as chairman, reported the following year that the matter of a prize contest seemed to involve too many difficulties and proposed instead that undergraduates be encouraged to prepare papers on mathematical topics and that they be allowed to speak at meetings of the Section. This idea was carried through, and most of the meetings of the Section for a time offered a period devoted to student presentations. The Section agreed to mimeograph the papers and present them for distribution among the college departments.
Interest in undergraduate participation increased until it was evident that undergraduates could have a meeting of their own, which happened in 1941. The war intervened and the idea was not reinstated. In the early 1950's the question of what could be done to spread the gospel of mathematics among college students was brought up again, and the suggestion was made that a pamphlet be prepared outlining ways in which a knowledge of mathematics was desirable, with the attractiveness of mathematics as a profession outlined. The pamphlet, prepared under the chairmanship of C. C. Richtmeyer of Mount Pleasant, was entitled "The Mathematics Student, To Be or Not To Be" and was distributed for a small fee to the different colleges of the state. It aroused considerable interest to the extent that the sale of the pamphlet resulted in a small contribution to the treasury of the Section.
When the Section was formed, it was hoped that members of the Section from the smaller institutions would participate by giving papers and that the sessions would not be preempted by the larger institutions. This hope was not realized, so in the main the papers came from the larger institutions in the state. Because of a feeling that perhaps members from the smaller institutions felt that their contributions were too small for a regular paper, it was proposed to devote some time in the afternoon meetings of the Section to five-minute talks, or to have an open forum, which had no set program but at which any member of the group could, on the spur of the moment, offer something in the nature of a five-minute note, which might be of interest to other members of the Section. The idea caught on pretty well; many interesting short notes were offered, and many members participated. In the ensuing years this idea was dropped as the number of regular contributed papers from various institutions increased.
The number of contributed papers varied from the original six to about a dozen, so that a single day of meetings continued to suffice through the 1960's. At times the program committees, even when working through the chairmen of departments, had headaches in getting together enough speakers for meetings. The idea of having invited speakers give hour-long talks was a welcome resort, to add to the program, and the Section has had the pleasure of listening (fairly regularly) to some outstanding mathematicians, both within and outside the Section. These invited addresses also made it possible to invite speakers from related sciences. Thus in the early days speakers from astronomy, aeronautical engineering, physics and even archaeology (the Mayan calendar) addressed the Section. Early on, the height of outside speakers addressing the group was reached in 1965 when the Section had three invited addresses: R. P. Boas of Northwestern University on undergraduate curricula, R. L. Wilder, at the time president of the Association, on axiomatics, and Saunders Mac Lane of the University of Chicago on categories. Other examples include Peter Hilton presenting two talks in 1973 on "The Language of Categories in Undergraduate and High School Mathematics"; Cambridge University's John Conway speaking on "Life is Universal"; in 1979, Paul Halmos on "How to be a Mathematician"; and in 1985 Paul Erdös presenting "Recent Results in Geometric Number Theory".
In 1971 the Section's Executive Committee approved Western Michigan University's plan to extend the annual meeting in Kalamazoo to a two-day format and hold a Friday evening banquet. The success of this experiment, providing more time for additional hour talks and more student papers, as well as more time for informal socializing, led to the continuation of the Friday-Saturday format. Soon thereafter, several new activities were introduced. The High School Visiting Lecture Program was established in 1973 and began functioning in 1974. Institutional memberships were approved, with about 25 colleges and universities contributing to the Section coffers by their annual dues. The Upper Michigan Summer Seminars (Short Courses) began in 1974 at Northern Michigan University, attracting faculty from Michigan and neighboring states. Also, with the start of the academic year 1974-75, the Michigan Section Newsletter was born, with two issues each year. In the spring of 1975, upon the suggestion of the national office of the MAA and with its financial support, the annual meeting of the Section, held at General Motors Institute in Flint, was devoted to an Oxford-type seminar that included seven applied mathematics seminars conducted by representatives from industry.
Finally, in the light of increased efforts to include colleagues from two-year colleges in Section activities, the Section by-laws were revised to include in the slate of officers a Section vice chairperson from two-year college faculties, with the first one elected in 1976. In a like manner, the Section in recent years has increased its liaison with the Michigan Council of the Teachers of Mathematics and has introduced activities on various fronts dealing with the mathematics education of students and with the mathematics preparation of elementary and secondary teachers.
The question of prizes to stimulate interest in mathematics was brought up again in 1957, but this time with respect to high school students. A committee was appointed to solicit university and industrial financial support for a competition among the high school students of Michigan, and to organize the project and proceed with the prize examinations. Financial support being forthcoming, the committee set up a procedure with two examinations, the first, which would be machine graded, would eliminate some of the contestants, and the second, more of an essay exam, would be individually graded and lead to the award of prizes. Much credit goes to the first exam committee. Their efforts to get the competition off the ground were monumental. This committee consisted of R. H. Oehmke (MSU), A. J. Lohwater (UM), A. W. Jacobson (Wayne), and F. L. Celauro (CMU). Bob Oehmke, now at Iowa, recently recalled "As there was no budget, we had to borrow money to get the competition started, and we invited graduate students to my basement to help stuff the envelopes!"
The first contest was held in the spring of 1958 and drew 6100 students from 315 high schools. Since then the competition has mushroomed, reaching at times about 25,000 high school students from close to 600 schools participating in the preliminary contest. Along with competition committee members, one has to cite the untiring efforts of Jim McKay of Oakland University, who early on directed several competitions and helped to streamline the whole process. Computerization of some aspects of the competition began at Michigan State University, and later, at Western Michigan University, it was expanded to include most of the process. The host universities furnished computer time and facilities for the competition. Industry has been generous in its financial support, and the universities and colleges have greatly supported the program. Later on, as the competition evolved, it became known as the Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition (MMPC), with the director and a four-person examination committee appointed by the Section Executive Committee, and with a special awards program as the final feature of each competition. The winners, parents, teachers, and the 60 or so college and university faculty who had graded Part II of the examination, would be invited to the awards banquet. The awards, designated as Gold, Silver, and Bronze, consist of about 50 university scholarships, currently ranging from $500 to $2600, as well as 50 honorable-mention book awards. For the past 25 years the figures for participating students and schools are given in the following table.
| Years | Competition | Schools | Students | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-81 | Twenty-fourth | 561 | 23,793 | |
| 1981-82 | Twenty-fifth | 557 | 25,853 | |
| 1982-83 | Twenty-sixth | 517 | 20,903 | |
| 1983-84 | Twenty-seventh | 519 | 22,848 | |
| 1984-85 | Twenty-eighth | 504 | 22,455 | |
| 1985-86 | Twenty-ninth | 529 | 23,000 | |
| 1986-87 | Thirtieth | 513 | 25,500 | |
| 1987-88 | Thirty-first | 499 | 22,369 | |
| 1988-89 | Thirty-second | 502 | 19,652 | |
| 1989-90 | Thirty-third | 502 | 19,292 | |
| 1990-91 | Thirty-fourth | 478 | 18,593 | |
| 1991-92 | Thirty-fifth | 426 | 18,099 | |
| 1992-93 | Thirty-sixth | 396 | 16,291 | |
| 1993-94 | Thirty-seventh | 393 | 16,228 | |
| 1994-95 | Thirty-eighth | 360 | 14,969 | |
| 1995-96 | Thirty-ninth | 344 | 16,806 | |
| 1996-97 | Fortieth | 316 | 16,080 | |
| 1997-98 | Forty-first | 324 | 15,696 | |
| 1998-99 | Forty-second | 311 | 15,473 | |
| 1999-00 | Forty-third | 317 | 15,140 | |
| 2000-01 | Forty-fourth | 324 | 15,759 | |
| 2001-02 | Forty-fifth | 310 | 15,482 | |
| 2002-03 | Forty-sixth | 281 | 13,624 | |
| 2003-04 | Forty-seventh | 261 | 12,554 | |
| 2004-05 | Forty-eighth | 246 | 11,093 |
Support for the MMPC and the awards have come from Unisys Corporation (formerly Burroughs Corporation), Michigan Bell, Bell Communication Research Laboratory, Aeroquip, Clark Equipment, Consumers Power, The Upjohn Company, Ford Motor Company, Arvco Container Corporation, Mr. Jerome Kohler of Kalamazoo, Kuhlman Corporation, Dover Publications, and A K Peters, Ltd. For the past several years the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics has underwritten the cost of the honorable mention book awards. In 1989 MMPC funds were used to provide scholarships for up to 20 non-seniors from the top 100 honored at Awards Day to attend the 1989 Seaborg Summer Academy at Northern Michigan University.
| Years | MMPC Directors | College or University |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Robert H. Oehmke | MSU |
| 1958-60 | Frank L. Celauro | CMU |
| 1960-62 | R. K. Ritt | UM |
| 1962-66 | James H. McKay | MSU-O (Oakland U) |
| 1966-67 | Wilbur E. Deskins | MSU |
| 1967-69 | William M. Fitzgerald | MSU |
| 1969-72 | Ronald C. Hamelink | MSU |
| 1972-75 | Robert A. Laing | WMU |
| 1975-77 | Erik A. Schreiner | WMU |
| 1977-79 | Andrew C. Dempster | EMU |
| 1979-81 | James K. Bidwell | CMU |
| 1981-82 | James K. Bidwell and Edward Whitmore | CMU |
| 1982-85 | Mangalam Gopal | MTU |
| 1985-87 | Edward C. Ingraham | MSU |
| 1987-88 | Daniel A. Moran | MSU |
| 1988-89 | Christopher E. Hee | EMU |
| 1989-90 | Christopher J. Gardiner | EMU |
| 1990-91 | Christopher E. Hee | EMU |
| 1991-94 | Ruth G. Favro | LTU |
| 1994-96 | Steven J. Schlicker | GVSU |
| 1996-97 | Karen Novotny | GVSU |
| 1997-99 | Gerald D. Ludden | MSU |
| 1999-2002 | Robert Messer | Albion C |
| 2002-2005 | David Redman | Delta C |
| 2005-2008 | Eddie Cheng | Oakland U |
| 2008-2011 | Hasan Al-Halees | SVSU |
| 2011-2014 | Stephanie Edwards | Hope |
| 2014-2017 | Kim Rescorla and Carla Tayeh | EMU |
| 2017-present | Andrew Poe | NMU |
For the most part, each year the MMPC Examination Committee consisted of four faculty members from various institutions, each member serving a four-year term with the last year as chairperson. The first committee in 1958 consisted of Robert H. Oehmke (MSU), Arthur J. Lohwater (UM), A. W. Jacobson (WSU), and Frank L. Celauro (CMU).
| MMPC Exam Committee Member | College or University | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Robert H. Oehmke | MSU | 1958-? |
| A. W. Jacobson | WSU | 1958-? |
| Arthur J. Lohwater | UM | 1958-? |
| Frank L. Celauro | CMU | 1958-? |
| Wilbur E. Deskins | MSU | ? |
| J. B. Eckstein | U of Detroit | ? |
| Charles F. Brumfiel | UM | 1965 |
| Marvin L. Tomber | MSU | 1965-67 |
| Robert C. Seber | WMU | 1965 |
| Nicholas D. Kazarinoff | U of M | 1966-68 |
| Murray S. Klamkin | Ford Sc Lab | 1966-69 |
| Leroy M. Kelly | MSU | 1967-71, 81-83 |
| John W. Dettman | Oakland U | 1969-72 |
| Thomas F. Storer | UM | 1968-72 |
| Stanislaw Leja | WMU | 1972-74, 75-77 |
| Paul J. Zwier | Calvin C | 1969-73 |
| David A. James | WSU | 1972-76 |
| Joseph L. Ullman | UM | 1973-75, 1977-78 |
| Edward A. Nordhaus | MSU | 1973-81 |
| Stanley L. Rajnak | Kalamazoo C | 1974-78 |
| Theodore A. Eisenberg | NMU | 1976-80 |
| Thomas E. Elsner | GMI | 1978-82 |
| M. S. Ramanujan | UM | 1978-81 |
| John O. Kiltinen | NMU | 1980-84 |
| Richard I. Loebl | WSU | 1981-85 |
| Michael J. Gilpin | MTU | 1982-86 |
| Melvin A. Nyman | Alma C | 1983-87 |
| Jerrold W. Grossman | Oakland U | 1984-88 |
| William W. Babcock | NMU | 1985-89 |
| Allen J. Schwenk | WMU | 1986-90 |
| Timothy B. Carroll | EMU | 1987-89 |
| David G. McDowell | CMU | 1988-90 |
| Rita Chattopadhyay | EMU | 1989-91 |
| Ahmed Assaf | CMU | 1990-92 |
| Andreas R. Blass | UM | 1989-93 |
| Paul J. Eenigenburg | WMU | 1990-94 |
| Kenneth Schilling | UM-Flint | 1991-95 |
| Yury Ionin | CMU | 1992-96 |
| Christopher E. Hee | EMU | 1993-97 |
| Michael J. Merscher | LTU | 1994-98 |
| Allan Struthers | MTU | 1995-98 |
| William Arlinghaus | LTU | 1998-99 |
| Renate McLaughlin | UM-Flint | 1996-2000 |
| Daniel A. Moran | MSU | 1997-2001 |
| Philip J. Hanlon | UM | 1998-2002 |
| William Sledd | MSU | 1999-2003 |
| Ed Aboufadel | GVSU | 2000-2004 |
| Eddie Cheng | Oakland U | 2001-2005 |
| John Clifford | UM-Dearborn | 2002-2006 |
| Patrick Pan | SVSU | 2003-2007 |
| Akalu Tefera | GVSU | 2004-2008 |
| Lazaros Kikas | U Detroit Mercy | 2005-2009 |
| Ada Cheng | Kettering | 2006-2010 |
| Jennifer Zhao | UM-Dearborn | 2007-2011 |
| Eddie Cheng | Oakland | 2008-2012 |
| Sid Graham | CMU | 2009-2013 |
| Hugh Montgomery | UM-Ann Arbor | 2010-2014 |
| Dan Frohardt | Wayne State | 2011-2015 |
| Robert Messer | Albion College | 2012-2016 |
| Eddie Cheng | Oakland | 2013-2017 |
| Michael "Cap" Khoury | UM-Ann Arbor | 2014-2018 |
| Michael Dabkowski | UM-Dearborn | 2019- |
With the increased use of graphing calculators in the secondary mathematics classrooms it was inevitable that the question would arise concerning the use of graphing calculators on the MMPC. In the summer of 1994 the Executive Committee of the Section formed an ad hoc committee, chaired by Paul Eenigenburg (WMU), to investigate whether calculators should be permitted on the Michigan Mathematics Prize Exam. Other members on the committee were Melvin Billik (Midland H. H. Dow High School), Ruth Favro (LTU), John Fink (Kalamazoo C), Yury Ionin (CMU), Robert Messer (Albion C), Kenneth Schilling (UM-Flint), and Marcia Weinhold (Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center). The committee recommended that (1) calculators would be permitted on Part I, but not on Part II; (2) machines with QWERTY keyboards would not be allowed; (3) exam supervisors would not clear memories; (4) although some problems may require the technology of a scientific calculator, the exam committee should strive to ensure that no problem will give a significant advantage to someone having a calculator with graphing, programming, or CAS capabilities; and (5) exam supervisors should provide feedback after Part I is given. These recommendations were approved by the Executive Committee in its March 1995 meetings. Graphing calculators without QWERTY keyboards were first permitted for Part I of the thirty-ninth competition, given in fall 1995. In 1999 the policy was changed to allow any calculator (but not computer) on Part I.
In spring of 1989 Professors Robert Messer of Albion College and John Fink of Kalamazoo College organized Michigan's all-star team of high school math students to enter the American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) competition as a follow-up to the MMPC. The members were selected from the top 100 students in the MMPC. Professors Messer and Fink, along with Mel Billik, head of mathematics at Dow High School in Midland, held two training sessions and accompanied the team to the competition at Pennsylvania State University. Michigan's team was pleased to place second in Division B of the 1989 competition. Participation in the ARML is now an annual event, with major funding coming from the Matilda Wilson Fund. In 1998 Robert Messer, John Fink, Ruth Favro of Lawrence Technological University, along with William Harris, chair of the Mathematics Department at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, recruited MMPC award recipients to represent Michigan in the ARML Competition. Support for the three practice sessions and travel to Iowa City was provided to the Michigan Section through a grant from the Matilda Wilson Fund, with additional funding from the Charles M. Bauervic Foundation.
The standard practice for many years was for the chair of the Michigan Section to send an annual letter to the membership with announcements of the year's activities and programs. At the 1974 summer meeting of the Section's Executive Committee, Yousef Alavi, chair of the Section, mentioned that some other sections had newsletters, and he wished that the Michigan Section would have one also. It was not an easy job. Just getting news items from the campuses proved to be an almost insurmountable task. Delia Koo lived in a suburb of East Lansing and taught at Eastern Michigan University. With the help of contacts and friends at other colleges and universities, she ferreted out enough information to put together four and a half pages of news for the first edition. With the help of the computing facilities at Eastern Michigan University, Volume 1, Number 1, was distributed in January 1975 to over 1000 mathematicians in colleges and universities in Michigan. Yousef Alavi stated in a cover letter, "It is our hope that this will serve a useful purpose by providing a medium for exchanges, communications, and dissemination of information between the various colleges and universities, the membership of the Section, and the Executive Committee." The full story of the start-up of the Newsletter is found on page 7 of the April 1988 issue of the Newsletter (Vol. 14, No. 2).
The Newsletter was an instant success and through the years has exceeded many times over the modest expectations that Yousef Alavi and Delia Koo had expressed in the beginning. The first issues were printed on letter sized paper. Most issues had six to ten printed sides. The mailing cost was 2¢ per item. The early editors of the Newsletter, besides Yousef Alavi and Delia Koo, were Robert Chaffer (CMU), Katherine Price (HPCC), Delano Wegener (CMU), and Don R. Lick (WMU).
When John Kiltinen (NMU) took over as the editor in 1984, with the assistance of William Babcock (NMU), the Newsletter took on a whole new shape and function. The Newsletter became a half-letter sized journal which included features, editorial columns, pictures, and reports, in addition to the usual announcements and news items in earlier editions. Over the ten-year period that Kiltinen and Babcock edited the Newsletter, it matured into being one of the best, if not the best, newsletter of any section in the MAA. The editors of the Newsletter have been the following.
| Years | Newsletter Editor | College or University |
|---|---|---|
| 1974-1976 | Yousef Alavi and Delia Koo | WMU and EMU |
| 1976-1977 | Delia Koo | EMU |
| 1978-1979 | Robert Chaffer and Katherine Price | CMU and Highland Park CC |
| 1979-1980 | Robert Chaffer | CMU |
| 1980-1982 | Delano Wegener | CMU |
| 1982-1984 | Yousef Alavi and Don Lick | WMU |
| 1984-1994 | John Kiltinen and Bill Babcock | NMU |
| 1994-1996 | John Petro and Allen Schwenk | WMU |
| 1996-2001 | Jerrold Grossman | Oakland U |
| 2002-2013 | Norman Richert | Math Reviews |
| 2013-2015 | Katherine Ballentine | Math Reviews |
| 2015-2017 | Victor Piercey | Ferris State U |
| 2017- | Beth Wolf and Clark Wells | UM-AA and GVSU |
| Volume | Fall Newsletter | Spring Newsletter |
|---|---|---|
| Volume 50 | Fall 2023 | Spring 2024 |
| Volume 49 | Fall 2022 | Spring 2023 |
| Volume 48 | Fall 2021 | Spring 2022 |
| Volume 47 | Fall 2020 | Spring 2021 |
| Volume 46 | Fall 2019 | Spring 2020 |
| Volume 45 | Fall 2018 | Spring 2019 |
| Volume 44 | Fall 2017 | Spring 2018 |
| Volume 43 | Fall 2016 | Spring 2017 |
| Volume 42 | Fall 2015 | Spring 2016 |
| Volume 41 | Fall 2014 | Spring 2015 |
| Volume 40 | Fall 2013 | Spring 2014 |
| Volume 39 | Fall 2012 | Spring 2013 |
| Volume 38 | Fall 2011 | Spring 2012 |
| Volume 37 | Fall 2010 | Spring 2011 |
| Volume 36 | Fall 2009 | Spring 2010 |
| Volume 35 | Fall 2008 | Spring 2009 |
| Volume 34 | Fall 2007 | Spring 2008 |
| Volume 33 | Fall 2006 | Spring 2007 |
| Volume 32 | Fall 2005 | Spring 2006 |
| Volume 31 | Fall 2004 | Spring 2005 |
| Volume 30 | Fall 2003 | Spring 2004 |
| Volume 29 | Fall 2002 | Spring 2003 |
| Volume 28 | Fall 2001 | Spring 2002 |
| Volume 27 | Fall 2000 | Spring 2001 |
| Volume 26 | Fall 1999 | Spring 2000 |
| Volume 25 | Fall 1998 | Spring 1999 |
| Volume 24 | Fall 1997 | Spring 1998 |
| Volume 23 | Fall 1996 | Spring 1997 |
| Volume 22 | Spring 1996 |
In 1975 the Michigan Section presented a special distinguished service award to Professor Lyle E. Mehlenbacher of the University of Detroit upon his retirement as chair of the Committee on Sections of the MAA. In 1977 another such award was presented to Professor J. Sutherland Frame of MSU for his long service and his numerous presentations at the Section meetings, including service as Section governor 1950-52, as governor-at-large of the MAA 1958-60, and as vice president and president of the Michigan Academy 1957-59. In 1981 a third such award went to Professor Edward A. Nordhaus of MSU for his long service to the Section, especially for his service on numerous examination committees of the MMPC.
In 1986 the Michigan Section instituted an annual Distinguished Service Award. The first such award was to Professor Yousef Alavi of WMU at the annual meeting of the Section in May 1987. He received a special citation acknowledging his nearly 30 years of active participation and leadership in the Section, along with a special Michigan House-Senate Joint Resolution honoring his accomplishments. In 1989 it was decided to also present posthumous awards to the families of distinguished leaders in the Michigan Section who were deceased. The following Distinguished Service Awards have been made at the annual meetings of the Michigan Section.
| Year | Distinguished Service Award Recipient | College or University |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Yousef Alavi | WMU |
| 1988 | Delia Koo | EMU |
| 1989 | J. Sutherland Frame | MSU |
| 1989 | T. H. Hildebrandt (posthumously) | UM |
| 1990 | Lyle E. Mehlenbacher | U of Detroit |
| 1990 | Ruel V. Churchill (posthumously) | UM |
| 1991 | Harold T. Slaby | WSU |
| 1992 | Wilfred Kaplan | UM |
| 1993 | Don R. Lick | EMU |
| 1994 | Jean M. Calloway | Kalamazoo C |
| 1995 | John O. Kiltinen | NMU |
| 1996 | Elliot A. Tanis | Hope C |
| 1997 | Hugh L. Montgomery | UM |
| 1998 | Robert Chaffer | CMU |
| 1999 | John W. Petro | WMU |
| 2000 | Renate McLaughlin | UM-Flint |
| 2001 | Douglas W. Nance | CMU |
| 2002 | Bette L. Warren | EMU |
| 2003 | Melvin A. Nyman | Alma C |
| 2004 | Thomas J. Miles | CMU |
| 2005 | Jerrold W. Grossman | Oakland U |
| 2006 | Janet Andersen (posthumously) | Hope College |
| 2007 | Robert Messer | Albion College |
| 2008 | Steven J. Schlicker | GVSU |
| 2009 | Richard J. Fleming | CMU |
| 2010 | Ruth G. Favro | LTU |
| 2011 | Sidney W. Graham | CMU |
| 2012 | Norm Richert | Math Reviews |
| 2013 | Gerard Venema | Calvin College |
| 2014 | John Fink | Kalamazoo College |
| 2015 | Mark Bollman | Albion College |
| 2016 | No award given | |
| 2017 | David Redman | Delta CC |
| 2018 | Margret Höft | University of Michigan-Dearborn |
| 2019 | Matt Boelkins | GVSU |
| 2020 | Gavin LaRose | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor |
| 2021 | No award given | |
| 2022 | Victor Piercey | Ferris State University |
| 2023 | Nina White | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor |
| 2024 | Michele Intermont | Kalamazoo College |
In 1984 the Mathematical Association of America established the MAA Certificate of Meritorious Service, to be given to members of the Association for distinguished service at the national level or at the section level. The sections were placed on a five-year rotating schedule, with each section having the opportunity to nominate one recipient of this award every five years. The Michigan Section had its first turn at the 1987 summer meeting of the MAA in Salt Lake City. The following members of the Section have received the MAA Certificate of Meritorious Service.
| Year | Meritorious Service Award Recipient | College or University |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Yousef Alavi | WMU |
| 1992 | Delia Koo | EMU |
| 1997 | Don R. Lick | EMU |
| 2002 | John W. Petro | WMU |
| 2007 | Jerrold W. Grossman | Oakland U |
| 2012 | Ruth G. Favro | LTU |
| 2017 | Gerard Venema | Calvin College |
The MAA established an annual Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics beginning in 1992. Sections are encouraged to present the award at their annual spring meetings. The awardees from all of the sections form a pool from which several will be chosen for the national Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award. The following Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics have been made by the Michigan Section
| Year | Distinguished Teaching Award Recipient | College or University |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Elliot A. Tanis | Hope C |
| 1993 | Douglas W. Nance | CMU |
| 1994 | Jerrold W. Grossman | Oakland U |
| 1995 | Sidney W. Graham | MTU |
| 1996 | Arthur T. White | WMU |
| 1997 | Richard O. Hill | MSU |
| 1998 | Donald A. Buckeye | EMU |
| 1999 | Kalpana Godbole | MTU |
| 2000 | Larry M. King | UM-Flint |
| 2001 | John Fink | Kalamazoo C |
| 2002 | Charlene E. Beckmann | GVSU |
| 2003 | Steven Kahn | WSU |
| 2004 | Brian McCartin | Kettering U |
| 2005 | Ted Sundstrom | GVSU |
| 2006 | Tim Carroll | EMU |
| 2007 | Eddie Cheng | Oakland U |
| 2008 | No award | |
| 2009 | Lisa DeMeyer | CMU |
| 2010 | Mike Merscher | LTU |
| 2011 | Andrew Ross | EMU |
| 2012 | Gavin LaRose | UM-Ann Arbor |
| 2013 | Matt Boelkins | GVSU |
| 2014 | Ken Schilling | UM-Flint |
| 2015 | Christine Phelps-Gregory | CMU |
| 2016 | David Murphy | Hillsdale College |
| 2017 | Carl Lee | CMU |
| 2018 | Angela Kubena | UM-Ann Arbor |
| 2019 | Yunus Zeytuncu | UM-Dearborn |
| 2020 | Doug Lapp | Central Michigan University |
| 2021 | Sarah Koch | University of Michigan Ann Arbor |
| 2022 | Abraham Edwards | Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University |
| 2023 | Tibor Marcinek | Central Michigan University |
| 2024 | Victor Piercey | Ferris State University |
This award is presented to the student (or students) with the most outstanding talk at the annual meeting of the MAA Michigan Section. Ron Mosier was a mathematician whose contributions to the subject spanned both pure and applied areas, from linear lattices to camshaft design. He loved mathematics, and he always was ready to listen, talk, or discuss any topic related to it. He was a regular attendee at the annual meeting, and one of the things he most enjoyed was the student talks. To honor Ron's memory, the Michigan Section instituted this prize in his name.
| Year | Ron Mosier Memorial Award Recipient | College or University |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Paul Downen and Matt Lanting | LTU |
| 2011 | Kaylee Kooiman | Calvin College |
| 2011 | Ethan Van Andel | Calvin College |
| 2012 | Luis Sordo Viera | WSU |
| 2013 | Meghan Peer | SVSU |
| 2014 | Umang Varma | Kalamazoo College |
| 2015 | Raoul Wadhwa | Kalamazoo College |
| 2016 | Brooke Szymoniak | Saginaw Valley State University |
| 2017 | Suzy McTaggart | Eastern Michigan University |
| 2018 | Casey Koch-Larue | Grand Valley State University |
| 2019 | Savannah Swiatlowski | Central Michigan University |
| 2020 | No award (meeting cancelled) | |
| 2021 | Nicholas Layman | Grand Valley State University |
| 2022 | Jack Graham | Hillsdale College |
| 2023 | Adam Uremek | Saginaw Valley State University |
| 2024 | Justin Sciullo | Grand Valley State University |
| Year | Student Poster Presentation Award Recipient | College or University |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | David Rube | Lawrence Technological University |
An important issue in the Michigan Section since early in the 1980's has been the challenge to the mathematics curriculum resulting from the increased use and power of calculators and microcomputers in the classroom. For the past several years special sessions at the annual meetings of the Section have been devoted to the use of graphing calculators and microcomputers in the classroom. The Michigan Calculus Network was established in 1987 to address the changes in the calculus curriculum due to this increased use of technology. Its Steering Committee, initially chaired by John Masterson of MSU, was established with eight members from campuses across Michigan. During 1987-88 more than 80 people from over 20 colleges and universities in Michigan participated in its two meetings. A Network Newsletter was established and instructional materials for using computers and graphing calculators for teaching calculus were prepared. In 1988 the Michigan Calculus Network was made an official Section activity. A total of five annual statewide conferences and several specialized conferences were sponsored by the Michigan Calculus Network. Due to the increased emphasis on calculus reform and on the introduction of technology across the mathematics curriculum at state and national meetings, the need for the Michigan Calculus Network began to diminish by 1994, and it was discontinued in 1995. The five conferences sponsored by the Michigan Calculus Network during its short existence are as follows.
| Years | Calculus Network Director | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-90 | James Angelos (CMU) | Grand Rapids | |
| 1990-91 | Charlene Beckmann (GVSU) | Dearborn | |
| 1991-92 | Charlene Beckmann (GVSU) | Grand Rapids | |
| 1992-93 | Marian Barry (Acquinas C) | Dearborn | |
| 1993-94 | Marian Barry (Acquinas C) | Kalamazoo |
The Michigan Mathematics Early Placement Test (MMEPT) was started in 1986 as a pilot program under the leadership of John O. Kiltinen of Northern Michigan University and became established statewide the following year. This was an early placement testing program to be given high school juniors, which was modeled after a similar program in Ohio. Funding for the MMEPT was provided in higher education appropriation bills. The official sponsor of this program was the Presidents' Council of the State Colleges and Universities, and it was administered by the Glenn T. Seaborg Center for Teaching and Learning Science and Mathematics at Northern Michigan University. The Michigan Section gave its strong endorsement and support for this program. Unfortunately the program was discontinued in 1991 when its funding bill was vetoed by the governor. During its five years of operation, MMEPT served over 200,000 Michigan high school students, giving them an early indication of their math preparation for college.
The first Mathematics Awareness Week was established for the week of April 14-20, 1986 by a bill that Senator Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) introduced in Congress. The Michigan Section enthusiastically supported this first Mathematics Awareness Week and has continued to support it in subsequent years. The first Mathematics Awareness Committee for the Michigan Section consisted of Wilfred Kaplan (UM) as chair, Yousef Alavi (WMU), Doug Nance (CMU), Carole Lacampagne (UM-Flint), and Don R. Lick (EMU). Activities for Mathematics Awareness Week have included special programs, exhibits, and fairs about mathematics, civic proclamations in the support of mathematics, visits to high schools to give talks about mathematics and about careers in mathematics, and special press releases to publicize broadly the importance of mathematics.
The Michigan Region of Women and Mathematics (WAM) was organized with 14 Michigan mathematicians attending its first meeting in September, 1986 in Flint. The objective of the WAM program is to encourage students, especially young women, to continue their study of mathematics. The first WAM Coordinator was Jean Simutis of Alma College. The Michigan Section has supported WAM by having special WAM speakers as a part of its annual meetings and by including announcements and articles about WAM regularly in the Section's Newsletter. In 1989 the Michigan Section established the Women's Study Committee, with Jean Simutis serving as its first chair. Subsequently, the chairs of the Women's Study Committee have been Toni Carroll (Siena Heights C) 1990-91, Gladys Rockind (Oakland CC) 1991-92, Bette Warren (EMU) 1992-97, Jeanne Wald (MSU) 1997-2000, and Toni Carroll (Siena Heights C) 2001-2005.
In 1988 the Mathematical Association of America initiated a program of student chapters at colleges and universities. Elliot Tanis from Hope College was appointed as the Michigan Section Student Chapters Coordinator in 1988. The following year, Matthew Wyneken from the University of Michigan-Flint took over the responsibility for coordinating student chapters. As of April 1990 a total of eight student chapters had been organized within the state. Several more were organized during the initial start-up phase, which continued until June 30, 1990. A special newsletter to be distributed to student chapters in Michigan was originally planned. In its place, a section on MAA student chapters, Pi Mu Epsilon chapters, Kappa Mu Epsilon chapters, and other mathematics clubs was introduced in the Section's Newsletter in 1996. An annual Undergraduate Conference has been held since 1998-99, hosted by Grand Valley State University (2 years), Alma College (2 years), Calvin College, University of Michigan-Dearborn, and Central Michigan University.
In 1988 steps were taken by the Executive Committee of the Michigan Section to initiate dialogue with the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) for the purpose of identifying areas for joint ventures. The first such venture was the agreement to publish jointly with the MCTM a monograph on the preparation of high school students for the calculus. In 1989 Professor Kyung K. Kwun, chair of the Michigan Section, appointed a Cooperation Study Committee consisting of Professors Wilfred Kaplan (UM) as chair, Mary Catherine Brechting (Aquinas C), Don R. Lick (EMU), and John W. Petro (WMU) to further explore ways to promote cooperation between the Michigan Section and the MCTM. In the report made by this committee it was strongly recommended that the Michigan Section should work closely with the MCTM to do a much better job communicating with middle school and high school students the importance of mathematics for their future careers and the immense number of possibilities for careers within the mathematical sciences. From 1993 to 2003, Renate McLaughlin (UM-Flint) served as representative from the Michigan Section to the MCTM. Beginning in 2004, it was decided that this should be a duty of the Governor of the Section.
With the rapid expansion of MichNet to provide Internet access to campuses throughout Michigan and the increasing use of e-mail to communicate with colleagues near and far, it was inevitable that cyberspace would find its place in the Michigan Section. E-mail addresses of Section officers and committee members first appeared in the December 1993 issue of the Michigan Section Newsletter. In the fall of 1995, the Section's World Wide Web site was established. The webmaster until 2005 was Earl Fife from Calvin College, and the current webmaster is Sid Graham from Central Michigan University. The current URL is http://sections.maa.org/michigan/
In the early 1980's the national MAA decided to keep its headquarters in downtown Washington, where it could better represent the interests of mathematics, rather than move to the suburbs. The MAA took out a mortgage of $600,000 to fund extensive renovations to its Dolciani Mathematical Center headquarters on Eighteenth Street, NW. A capital fund drive was mounted which raised $400,000. The national headquarters challenged the sections in 1991 to mount fund drives to raise the money to retire the remaining $200,000 of indebtedness. Rooms at the headquarters could be dedicated for as little as $5,000 and as much as $30,000. Hugh Montgomery (UM), chair of the Michigan Section, challenged the Section to raise $30,000 in order to designate a prominent room in the Dolciani Mathematical Center to be the Michigan Room. This challenge was met. In barely three years many generous members of the Michigan Section contributed a total of $30,000 to this endeavor. Thomas Miles (CMU), the secretary/treasurer of the Michigan Section, forwarded to the MAA the final payment on this pledge in May, 1994.
There have been many other activities within the Michigan Section. The Upper Peninsula Zone of the Michigan Section established annual meetings beginning in 1984. In 1986 a Summer Short Course Committee consisting of Yousef Alavi (WMU) as chair, John Van Iwaarden (Hope C), Michael J. Gilpin (MTU), and Don R. Lick (EMU) was appointed. A very successful Summer Short Course featuring speakers Peter Hilton (SUNY at Binghamton) and Jean Pedersen (Santa Clara U) was held at Hope College during the summer of 1987. Several Summer Short Courses have also been offered at Northern Michigan University.
The Section has enjoyed the enthusiastic support of mathematics departments and chairs from throughout the state. They have called the attention of the Program Committee to potential faculty and student papers; assisted generously with faculty, staff, and resources; organized transportation for attendance at the meetings; hosted annual meetings; assisted with the administration of the MMPC and the Awards Day programs; and given much support to the Section officers and the MAA representatives (liaisons) from their institutions. Throughout the past decades many interesting and stimulating presentations, original and expository, have been made at the Section meetings, but matters pertaining to instruction and curriculum have not been neglected. These, together with the MMPC, HSVLP, the Summer Seminars, the student papers, the timely and topical panel discussions, and the legislative hearings activities on school programs, curricula, and certification, are ample evidence of continuing success for the Section in various directions in the future.
| Years | HS Visiting Lecturer Program Director | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1974-81 | Jean M. Calloway | Kalamazoo C |
| 1982-84 | Thomas E. Elsner | GMI (Kettering U) |
| 1985-88 | Robert A. Chaffer | CMU |
| 1988-91 | John A. Wenzel | Albion C |
| 1991-94 | Jerrold W. Grossman | Oakland U |
| 1994-97 | Gary L. Johns | SVSU |
| 1997-98 | Michael S. Gilbert | SVSU |
| 1998-99 | Matthew F. Wyneken and Bette L. Warren | UM-Flint and EMU |
| 1999-2000 | Steve Schlicker | GVSU |
| 2000-2002 | Paul Fishback and Steve Schlicker | GVSU |
| 2002-2005 | Brian Snyder and Evan Schemm | LSSU |
| 2005-2008 | Brian Snyder and Kimberly Muller | LSSU |
| 2008-2010 | Kimberly Muller and Andrew Ross | LSSU and EMU |
| 2013 | David Tannor | GRCC |
| Years | Michigan MAA Governor | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1931-33 | James W. Glover | UM |
| 1943-45 | Alfred L. Nelson | Wayne U (WSU) |
| 1947-50 | John W. Bradshaw | UM |
| 1950-53 | J. Sutherland Frame | Michigan State C (MSU) |
| 1953-56 | Phillip S. Jones | UM |
| 1956-59 | B. M. Stewart | MSU |
| 1959-62 | Robert M. Thrall | UM |
| 1962-65 | Lyle E. Mehlenbacher | U of Detroit |
| 1965-70 | Karl W. Folley | WSU |
| 1970-71 | Leroy M. Kelly | MSU |
| 1971-74 | Murray S. Klamkin | Ford Motor Company |
| 1974-77 | Ruel V. Churchill | UM |
| 1977-80 | Yousef Alavi | WMU |
| 1980-83 | Delia Koo | EMU |
| 1983-85 | George F. Feeman | Oakland U |
| 1985-86 | Yousef Alavi | WMU |
| 1986-89 | Don R. Lick | EMU |
| 1989-92 | Elliot A. Tanis | Hope C |
| 1992-95 | Hugh L. Montgomery | UM |
| 1995-98 | John W. Petro | WMU |
| 1998-2001 | John O. Kiltinen | NMU |
| 2001-2004 | Jerrold W. Grossman | Oakland U |
| 2004-2007 | Ruth G. Favro | Lawrence Tech. U |
| 2007-2010 | Bette L. Warren | EMU |
| 2010-2013 | John Fink | Kalamazoo C |
| 2013-2016 | Matt Boelkins | GVSU |
| 2016-2017 | Steven Schlicker | GVSU |
| Years | Representative to Congress | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-2019 | Steven Schlicker | GVSU |
| 2019-2021 | Mark Bollman | Albion College |
| Years | Chairperson | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1924 | T. H. Hildebrandt | UM |
| 1924-26 | Edwin R. Sleight | Albion C |
| 1926-28 | Alfred L. Nelson | Detroit CC |
| 1928-29 | L. C. Plant | Michigan State C (MSU) |
| 1929-30 | R. C. Shellenberger | Bay City JC |
| 1930-31 | Theodore Lindquist | Michigan State Normal C (EMU) |
| 1931-32 | John P. Everett | Western State Teachers C (WMU) |
| 1932-33 | R. W. Clach | Alma C |
| 1933-34 | T. O. Walton | Kalamazoo C |
| 1934-35 | L. S. Johnson | U of Detroit |
| 1935-36 | J. B. Brandenberry | U of Toledo |
| 1936-37 | Cleon C. Richtmeyer | Central Michigan C (CMU) |
| 1937-38 | Vernon G. Grove | Michigan State C (MSU) |
| 1938-39 | William L. Ayres | UM |
| 1939-40 | A. E. Lampen | Hope C |
| 1940-41 | Karl W. Folley | Wayne U (WSU) |
| 1941-42 | T. R. Running | UM |
| 1942-43 | Wayne Dancer | U of Toledo |
| 1943-44 | G. G. Speeker | Michigan State C (MSU) |
| 1944-46 | J. W. Bradshaw | UM |
| 1946-47 | Edmund E. Ingals | Albion C |
| 1947-48 | Harold Blair | WMC of Ed (WMU) |
| Grover Bartoo | WMC of Ed (WMU) | |
| 1948-49 | B. M. Stewart | Michigan State C (MSU) |
| 1949-50 | Lyle E. Mehlenbacher | U of Detroit |
| 1950-51 | David C. Morrow | Wayne U (WSU) |
| 1951-52 | Norman H. Anning | UM |
| 1952-53 | H. D. Larsen | Albion C |
| 1953-54 | J. Sutherland Frame | Michigan State C (MSU) |
| 1954-55 | Ruel V. Churchill | UM |
| 1955-56 | Cleon C. Richtmeyer | Central Michigan C (CMU) |
| 1956-57 | Robert S. Pate | Eastern Michigan C (EMU) |
| 1957-58 | Albert E. Lampen | Hope C |
| 1958-59 | George Y. Rainich | UM |
| 1959-60 | William D. Baten | MSU |
| 1960-61 | Earl D. Rainville | UM |
| 1961-62 | Frank L. Celauro | CMU |
| 1962-63 | James H. McKay | MSU-O (Oakland U) |
| 1963-64 | Jean M. Calloway | Kalamazoo C |
| 1964-65 | George E. Hay | UM |
| 1965-66 | Paul J. Zwier | Calvin C |
| 1966-67 | James H. Powell | WMU |
| 1967-68 | Beauregard Stubblefield | MSU-O (Oakland U) |
| 1968-69 | Edward A. Nordhaus | MSU |
| 1969-70 | A. Bruce Clarke | WMU |
| 1970-71 | Jay E. Folkert | Hope C |
| 1971-72 | Martin T. Wechsler | WSU |
| 1972-73 | Donald. J. Lewis | UM |
| 1973-74 | George F. Feeman | Oakland U |
| 1974-75 | Yousef Alavi | WMU |
| 1975-76 | C. B. Stortz | NMU |
| 1976-77 | Elliot A. Tanis | Hope C |
| 1977-78 | Joseph E. Adney, Jr. | MSU |
| 1978-79 | Donald G. Malm | Oakland U |
| 1979-80 | Delia Koo | EMU |
| 1980-81 | Harold T. Slaby | WSU |
| 1981-82 | David A. James | UM-Dearborn |
| 1982-83 | M. S. Ramanujan | UM |
| 1983-84 | George Van Zwalenberg | Calvin C |
| 1984-85 | Don R. Lick | WMU |
| 1985-86 | Michael J. Gilpin | MTU |
| 1986-87 | Douglas W. Nance | CMU |
| 1987-88 | Thomas E. Elsner | GMI (Kettering U) |
| 1988-89 | John W. Petro | WMU |
| 1989-90 | Kyung K. Kwun | MSU |
| 1990-91 | Hugh L. Montgomery | UM |
| 1991-92 | Renate McLaughlin | UM-Flint |
| 1992-93 | Melvin A. Nyman | Alma C |
| 1993-94 | Richard J. Fleming | CMU |
| 1994-95 | Marian Barry | Aquinas C |
| 1995-96 | Thomas J. Miles | CMU |
| 1996-97 | Richard E. Phillips | MSU |
| 1997-98 | Matthew F. Wyneken | UM-Flint |
| 1998-99 | Bette L. Warren | EMU |
| 1999-00 | Daniel Frohardt | WSU |
| 2000-01 | Sidney W. Graham | CMU |
| 2001-02 | Ruth G. Favro | Lawrence Tech. U |
| 2002-03 | John Mooningham | SVSU |
| 2003-04 | Steve Schlicker | GVSU |
| 2004-05 | Gerard Venema | Calvin C |
| 2005-06 | John Fink | Kalamazoo C |
| 2006-07 | Randy Pruim | Calvin C |
| 2007-08 | Tom Zerger | SVSU |
| 2008-09 | Matt Boelkins | GVSU |
| 2009-10 | Darin Stephenson | Hope C |
| 2010-11 | Tim Husband | SHU |
| 2011-12 | Mike Bolt | Calvin C |
| 2012-13 | Dan Isaksen | WSU |
| 2013-14 | Steve Blair | EMU |
| 2014-15 | Michele Intermont | Kalamazoo |
| 2015-16 | Brian Snyder | LSSU |
| 2016-17 | P. Gavin LaRose | U. of Michigan |
| 2017-18 | Laura McLeman | University of Michigan-Flint |
| 2018-19 | Victor Piercey | Ferris State University |
| 2019-20 | Nancy Colwell | Saginaw Valley State University |
| 2020-21 | Victor Piercey | Ferris State University |
| 2021-22 | Amy Shell-Gellasch | Eastern Michigan University |
| Years | Two-Year College Vice Chairperson | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1976-77 | Newell H. Remington | Delta C |
| 1977-78 | Donald L. Ross | Washtenaw CC |
| 1978-79 | Katherine E. Price | Highland Park CC |
| 1979-80 | Joel D. Cohen | Oakland CC |
| 1980-81 | Phillip H. Mahler | Henry Ford CC |
| 1981-82 | M. James Stewart | Lansing CC |
| 1982-83 | John S. Kostoff | Delta C |
| 1983-84 | Carl W. Anderson | Southwestern Michigan C |
| 1984-85 | Barbara Near | Henry Ford CC |
| 1985-86 | Nancy Williams | Oakland CC |
| 1986-88 | Dawn M. Schmidt | Delta C |
| 1988-90 | Gladys L. Rockind | Oakland CC |
| 1990-92 | Lowell C. Stultz | Kalamazoo Valley CC |
| 1992-94 | Gary Knippenberg | Lansing CC |
| 1994-96 | Barbara A. Jur | Macomb CC |
| 1996-98 | James Chesla | Grand Rapids CC |
| 1998-2000 | Barbara A. Jur | Macomb CC |
| 2000-2002 | Jim Ham | Delta C |
| 2002-2004 | Scott Barnett | Henry Ford CC |
| 2004-2006 | Mark Naber | Monroe County CC |
| 2006-2008 | David Redman | Delta C |
| 2008-2010 | Thomas Kelly | HFCC |
| 2010-2012 | Kristin Chatas | WCC |
| 2012-2014 | Francis Lichtman | Delta C |
| 2014-2016 | Jan Roy | Montcalm CC |
| 2016-2018 | Natascha Rivet | Delta College |
| 2019-2020 | Sang Lee | Grand Rapids Community College |
| Years | Secretary / Treasurer | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1924-25 | John P. Everett | Western St. Normal Sc. (WMU) |
| 1925-26 | Norman H. Anning | UM |
| 1926-27 | C. Reid | UM |
| 1927-28 | W. W. Denton | UM |
| 1928-32 | Louis A. Hopkins | UM |
| 1932-36 | William L. Ayres | UM |
| 1938-41 | Paul S. Dwyer | UM |
| 1941-42 | Ruel V. Churchill | UM |
| 1942-46 | Carl J. Coe | UM |
| 1946-49 | L. J. Rouse | UM |
| 1949-53 | Phillip S. Jones | UM |
| 1953-56 | Samuel D. Conte | Wayne University (WSU) |
| 1956-59 | Fred A. Beeler | Western Michigan C (WMU) |
| 1959-62 | Lyle E. Mehlenbacher | U of Detroit |
| 1962-65 | James H. Powell | WMU |
| 1965-68 | Lester H. Serier | CMU |
| 1968-71 | Harold T. Slaby | WSU |
| 1971-74 | Yousef Alavi | WMU |
| 1974-77 | Delia Koo | EMU |
| 1977-80 | Robert A. Chaffer | CMU |
| 1980-82 | Paul K. Garlick | UM-Flint |
| 1982-85 | Douglas W. Nance | CMU |
| 1985-88 | Clifton E. Ealy, Jr. | NMU |
| 1988-91 | Melvin A. Nyman | Alma C |
| 1991-94 | Thomas J. Miles | CMU |
| 1994-95 | David C. Carothers | Hope C |
| 1995-97 | Bette L. Warren | EMU |
| 1997-2000 | Ruth G. Favro | LTU |
| 2000-2004 | Margret Höft | UM-Dearborn |
| 2004-2007 | Nancy Colwell | SVSU |
| 2007-2019 | Mark Bollman | Albion |
| 2019- | Ken Schilling | University of Michigan-Flint |
| Years | Location |
|---|---|
| 1924-42 | University of Michigan |
| 1943 | University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN (Joint Illinois, Indiana, Michigan Meeting) |
| 1944 | University of Michigan |
| 1946-48 | University of Michigan |
| 1949 | Wayne University (WSU) |
| 1950 | University of Michigan |
| 1951 | Michigan State College (MSU) |
| 1952 | University of Michigan |
| 1953 | Wayne University (WSU) |
| 1954 | University of Michigan |
| 1955 | Michigan State University |
| 1956 | University of Michigan |
| 1957 | Wayne State University |
| 1958 | University of Michigan |
| 1959 | Michigan State University |
| 1960 | University of Michigan |
| 1961 | Wayne State University |
| 1962 | University of Michigan |
| 1963 | Western Michigan University |
| 1964 | Michigan State University |
| 1965 | University of Michigan |
| 1966 | Wayne State University |
| 1967 | University of Michigan |
| 1968 | Grand Valley State College |
| 1969 | University of Michigan |
| 1970 | Wayne State University |
| 1971 | Western Michigan University |
| 1972 | Oakland University |
| 1973 | Alma College |
| 1974 | Central Michigan University |
| 1975 | General Motors Institute (Kettering University) |
| 1976 | Calvin College |
| 1977 | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1978 | Michigan State University |
| 1979 | University of Detroit |
| 1980 | Hope College |
| 1981 | Oakland University |
| 1982 | Calvin College |
| 1983 | Oakland Community College, Auburn Hills |
| 1984 | University of Michigan |
| 1985 | Western Michigan University |
| 1986 | Central Michigan University |
| 1987 | Michigan State University |
| 1988 | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1989 | Hope College |
| 1990 | University of Michigan-Flint |
| 1991 | Calvin College |
| 1992 | Saginaw Valley State University |
| 1993 | St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN (Joint Illinois, Indiana, Michigan Meeting) |
| 1994 | Alma College |
| 1995 | Grand Valley State University |
| 1996 | Siena Heights College |
| 1997 | Wayne State University (Joint Meeting with American Mathematical Society) |
| 1998 | Western Michigan University |
| 1999 | Eastern Michigan University |
| 2000 | Central Michigan University |
| 2001 | Hope College |
| 2002 | Lawrence Technological University |
| 2003 | Saginaw Valley State University |
| 2004 | Oakland University |
| 2005 | Alma College |
| 2006 | Calvin College |
| 2007 | University of Michigan - Dearborn |
| 2008 | Grand Valley State University |
| 2009 | Central Michigan University |
| 2010 | Eastern Michigan University |
| 2011 | Western Michigan University |
| 2012 | Saginaw Valley State University |
| 2013 | Lake Superior State University |
| 2014 | University of Michigan - Flint |
| 2015 | Hope College |
| 2016 | Hillsdale College |
| 2017 | Ferris State University |
| 2018 | Valparaiso University (Tri-section meeting) |
| 2019 | University of Detroit Mercy |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 |
| 2021 | Online meeting due to COVID-19 |
| 2022 | Grand Valley State University |
| 2023 | Alma College |
| 2024 | Lake Superior State University |
| 2025 | Adrian College (tentative) |