Mary P. Dolciani

Who was Mary P. Dolciani?

Mary P. Dolciani was an American mathematician, known for her work with secondary-school mathematics teachers.

Dolciani earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at Hunter College in New York City, and she completed her doctor of philosophy at Cornell University in 1947 with B. W. Jones as thesis advisor. She taught briefly at Vassar College before returning to Hunter, where she spent the next forty years. Dolciani taught mathematics there, and at times, she also served as a Dean or the Provost.

Beginning in the 1960s Mary Dolciani wrote a series of high school mathematics textbook, Structure and Method, which in 2000 - 2010 has experienced a resurgence of popularity.

Shortly before her death in 1985, Dolciani also co-wrote Pre-Algebra: An Accelerated Course. This textbook was widely used in the later 1980s through the 1990s. In addition to teaching the pure mathematics, it emphasized the usefulness of algebra in various practical applications.

The Mathematical Association of America publishes a series of mathematical books named for her: The Dolciani Mathematical Expositions.