A Brief History of the Kenneth O. May Prize
in the History of Mathematics
Kenneth O. May was a mathematician and historian of
mathematics of great vision. He recognized the need for a unified
international community of historians of mathematics and worked tirelessly
over the last nine years of his life to effect such a change.
In 1968, May spearheaded a discussion that ultimately led in 1971 to
the founding of the International Commission on the History of Mathematics
(ICHM) for the encouragement and promotion of the history of mathematics
internationally. As the first Chair of the new ICHM, May worked in two key
ways to achieve these goals. In 1972, he coordinated the publication of the
first World Directory of Historians of Mathematics, in an effort bring
historians of mathematics more easily into contact with one another. Then,
in 1974, he brought out the first volume of Historia Mathematica, the
international research journal for the history of mathematics overseen by
the ICHM. As Historia's first editor, May worked tirelessly to support and
to hone the research efforts of historians of mathematics around the world.
Following May's death in 1977, the ICHM sought a suitable means by
which to honor the memory of this remarkably selfless contributor to the
international community of historians of mathematics. The result was the
Kenneth O. May Prize given for outstanding contributions to the history of
mathematics and first awarded in 1989 to Dirk J. Struik and Adolf P.
Yushkevich on the occasion of the 18th International Congress of History of
Science in Hamburg and Munich. In 1993, the ICHM commissioned the Canadian
sculptor, Salius Jaskus, to design in bronze the Kenneth O. May Medal as
part of the Kenneth O. May Prize. To date, the following distinguished
historians of mathematics have been recognized for their work through the
presentation of the Kenneth O. May Prize and Medal:
1989 (at the 18th International Congress of History of Science in
Hamburg and Munich, Germany):
Dirk J. Struik (United States) and Adolf P. Yushkevich
(Soviet Union)
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Left: Adolf Pavlovitch Juschkewitch at the ceremony. Right: Joe Dauben
awarding the medals.
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Left and Right: Dirk Jan Struik at the ceremony (which was held at a boat
in Hamburg).
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1993 (at the 19th International Congress of History of Science in
Zaragoza, Spain):
Christoph J. Scriba (Germany) and Hans Wussing (Germany)
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left to right: Christoph Scriba, Joseph Dauben, and Hans Wussing.
The second Kenneth O. May Medal was presented by Joseph Dauben to
Christoph Scriba and Hans Wussing at the International Congress
of History of Science held in Zaragoza, Spain in 1993.
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1997 (at the 20th International Congress of History of Science in
Liege, Belgium):
Rene Taton (France)
2001 (at the 21st International Congress of History of Science and
Technology in Mexico City, Mexico):
Ubiratàn D'Ambrosio (Brazil) and Lam Lay Yong (Singapore)
(the latter's medal was presented in 2002). See the report.
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Joseph Dauben presenting the fourth Kenneth O. May Medal to Lam Lay Yong
at the International Congress of Mathematics in Beijing, China, 2002. Lam Lay
Yong was actually awarded the medal - together with Ubiratàn
d'Ambrosio - at the International Congress on History of Science and
Technology in Mexico City, Mexico, in 2001.
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2005 (at the Valedictory Symposium on the occasion of the
retirement of Henk Bos, June 30,
Utrecht, Netherlands; see also the report)
Henk Bos (Netherlands)
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Jeremy Gray presenting the fifth Kenneth O. May Medal to Henk Bos
at the Valedictory Symposium on the occasion of Henk's retirement in
Utrecht, June 30, 2005.
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The next Kenneth O. May Medal and Prize will be awarded in 2009 at
the 23nd International Congress of History of Science and Technology.
