Euphemia Haynes

Lore & Background

Euphemia Lofton was born in Washington, D.C., the only daughter of William S. Lofton, a dentist and financier, and Lavinia Day Lofton, a kindergarten teacher. She was valedictorian of M Street High School in 1907 and graduated with distinction from the Normal School for Colored Girls in 1909. She earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Smith College in 1914 and a master's degree in education from the University of Chicago in 1930. In 1943, she earned her PhD from the Catholic University of America with a dissertation supervised by Aubrey E. Landry.

Haynes taught in Washington, D.C., public schools for 47 years, including first grade at Garrison and Garfield Schools, mathematics at Armstrong High School, and mathematics at Dunbar High School, where she also served as chair of the Math Department. She later became a professor at the District of Columbia Teachers College, where she chaired the Division of Mathematics and Business Education, a department she created to train African American teachers. She also occasionally taught part-time at Howard University. In 1966, she became the first woman to chair the DC Board of Education, serving through 1967, and was an outspoken critic of the track system, which she argued discriminated against African American students.

Reader's Guide

Euphemia Haynes's significance lies in her pioneering role as the first African American woman to earn a PhD in mathematics, a milestone achieved in 1943. Her 47-year career in Washington, D.C., public schools and her work at the University of the District of Columbia advanced mathematics education and teacher training for African Americans. As the first woman to chair the DC Board of Education, her criticism of the track system contributed to the Hobson v. Hansen (1967) case, which ended that discriminatory practice. Her legacy is honored through the E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, the Euphemia Lofton Haynes Prize at Smith College, the Martha Euphemia Lofton Haynes Fellowship, and the renaming of Haynes House at Smith College. She also established a trust fund supporting a professorial chair and student loan fund at Catholic University. Her efforts laid the groundwork for more equitable educational practices in the District of Columbia.