Lola J. May

Who was Lola J. May?

Dr. Lola J. May was a noted mathematics educator, consultant, author, producer of audio-visual materials, an early proponent of the new math educational process, and a household name among mathematics. A native of Kenosha, Wisconsin and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1945, she achieved her master's degree in mathematics at Northwestern University and her doctorate in 1964. She taught mathematics at New Trier Township High School in the Chicago area until 1960, and was a mathematics consultant at the Winnetka, Illinois public schools until 1998. Her summers were often spent teaching at the university level.

Her authored works include her autobiography "Lola May Who?", the book "Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School", a number of Harcourt Brace textbooks, monthly articles for the Teaching K-8 magazine, and a series of articles for the Chicago Tribune Magazine.

Her awards include the Northwestern Alumni Merit Award, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the Educator of the Year Award from the Winnetka Chamber of Commerce. She frequently was a speaker at the annual California Math Conference during the 1970s and 1980s.