PREFACE

The Ohio Section is one of the three original sections of the Mathematical Association of America and the first to apply for a charter. It was organized in Columbus, Ohio, on December 30-31, 1915, as the MAA constituting convention was taking place.

Over the past 75 years Ohio has continued to be a leader among MAA sections--in terms of activities as well as membership. Some Ohio innovations, such as short courses, a newsletter, and student speakers, are now commonplace throughout the Association.

The Ohio Section is proud to join the MAA in celebrating 75 years of service to the mathematics profession. This history documents some of the mileposts reached by our Section during the period 1915-1990. We hope that its readers will see in it, not merely a nostalgic look at the past, but a stimulus to future professional growth.

The authors extend their thanks to the officers and members of the Ohio Section for their support during the preparation of this history. Special thanks go to the Secretary-Treasurers of the section, past and present, whose files of Ohio Section minutes and reports were an invaluable resource. In particular, we are indebted to Foster Brooks for "The Ohio Section of the Mathematical Association of America -- Some Notes on Its History," which he prepared in 1967 for the fifty-year history of the Association then being compiled by Kenneth May. We have also made liberal use of material in The American Mathematical Monthly, an official journal of the MAA.

We recognize the MAA for a grant of $300, used as seed money to get this project started. Special thanks also go to Kim Hensley, who typed the manuscript.

Ohio Section History Committee

* Chair

October, 1990