22/05/2024
Its Pink Wednesday and the spotlight is on an Educationist an Erudite Professor ,The first Nigerian woman to receive a Doctorate degree (PhD) ,She is also the first Nigerian female Vice-Chancellor ,she needs no introduction as the latter feat made the current affairs of Nigeria. The spotlight is on Grace Alele Williams.
She was born Grace Awani Alele to Itsekiri parents in Warri, Western Region (present-day Delta State), Nigeria on 16 December 1932.
She attended Government School, Warri, Queen's College, Lagos and the University of Ibadan. She obtained a master's degree in mathematics while teaching at Queen's School, Ede Osun state in 1957.
She obtained her PhD in Mathematics from the University of Chicago in 1963. Which made her the first woman in Nigeria to have a doctorate, in December of the same 1963 she got married to Babatunde Abraham Williams
She later be known as Grace Alele Williams.
She started her enviable career at Queen's College Ede teaching Mathematics, 1954 -1957, she left for Vermont University in the United States were she rose to Assistant Professor in 1965, she came back to the University of Ibadan to work as a Post Doctoral research fellow in the Institute of Education, she went on to work in the University of Lagos ,where she was appointed Professor in the Mathematics Department in 1976.
She had interest in women being educated as she introduced non-degree programmes allowing older women who worked as elementary school teachers obtain certificates, She worked with the African Mathematics program in Newton in America.
She published the "Mathematics handbook for teachers" in 1974. Her love for Mathematics and empowering women made her attend various workshops in different African cities .
She was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin in 1985, becoming to the first woman to attain that feat. She was a great influence to higher education in Nigeria, she was on the board of various companies.
She got awarded OON(order of the Niger) in 1987, she was awarded as one of the 100 people in Nigerians Centenary celebration in 2014, she elected fellow of the Mathematical association of Nigeria and Fellow of Nigerian Academy of Education.
She was survived by 5 Children, when she passed on in March 2022.
Grace Alele-Williams was a trailblazer in Education especially in the field of Mathematics. She wrote her name on the sands of time.
Shoutout to the women putting all the work.
Cheers 🥂 to greatness!!
Its Pink Wednesday and the spotlight is on an Educationist an Erudite Professor ,The first Nigerian woman to receive a Doctorate degree (PhD) ,She is also the first Nigerian female Vice-Chancellor ,she needs no introduction as the latter feat made the current affairs of Nigeria. The spotlight is on Grace Alele Williams.
She was born Grace Awani Alele to Itsekiri parents in Warri, Western Region (present-day Delta State), Nigeria on 16 December 1932.
She attended Government School, Warri, Queen's College, Lagos and the University of Ibadan. She obtained a master's degree in mathematics while teaching at Queen's School, Ede Osun state in 1957.
She obtained her PhD in Mathematics from the University of Chicago in 1963. Which made her the first woman in Nigeria to have a doctorate, in December of the same 1963 she got married to Babatunde Abraham Williams
She later be known as Grace Alele Williams.
She started her enviable career at Queen's College Ede teaching Mathematics, 1954 -1957, she left for Vermont University in the United States were she rose to Assistant Professor in 1965, she came back to the University of Ibadan to work as a Post Doctoral research fellow in the Institute of Education, she went on to work in the University of Lagos ,where she was appointed Professor in the Mathematics Department in 1976.
She had interest in women being educated as she introduced non-degree programmes allowing older women who worked as elementary school teachers obtain certificates, She worked with the African Mathematics program in Newton in America.
She published the "Mathematics handbook for teachers" in 1974. Her love for Mathematics and empowering women made her attend various workshops in different African cities .
She was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin in 1985, becoming to the first woman to attain that feat. She was a great influence to higher education in Nigeria, she was on the board of various companies.
She got awarded OON(order of the Niger) in 1987, she was awarded as one of the 100 people in Nigerians Centenary celebration in 2014, she elected fellow of the Mathematical association of Nigeria and Fellow of Nigerian Academy of Education.
She was survived by 5 Children, when she passed on in March 2022.
Grace Alele-Williams was a trailblazer in Education especially in the field of Mathematics. She wrote her name on the sands of time.
Shoutout to the women putting all the work.
Cheers 🥂 to greatness!!