Kelly Royce
Born on November 21, 1933 as Etta Zuber. The second child to Dr. Walter A. Zuber, a physician, and Mrs. Zadie L. Montgomery Zuber, who was a musician. She married Dolan Falconer and had three children. She passed away on September 19, "My entire career has been devoted to increasing the number of African American women in mathematics and mathematics-related careers." -- Etta Falconer, 1995.
Etta got her A.B. in mathematics in 1953 at Fisk University. She then went on to get her M.S. in 1954 at the University of Wisconsin. During her stay at Spellman College in Atlanta she continued working on her Ph. D. which she received from Emory College in Only being the 11 th African American woman to receive this honor. Her dissertation was titled “Quasi group Identities Invariant Under Isotopy” and her advisor was Trevor Evans. He was quoted as saying "she was the best of the numerous Ph.D. students he had in his 30 years at Emory" [AWM Newsletter].
Shortly after getting her M.S. she went on to teach at Okolona College in 1954 where she stayed for nine years before moving on to the Chattanooga public schools in 1963 where she remained for only one year. Then in 1965, went onto Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia where she started as instructor but quickly became an associate professor. She then moved on to Norfolk Stat University in VA for only a year before returning to Spelman College. She then became a professor and served as the Mathematics Department chair from
Through her time in teaching and serving on many different boards and councils she received numerous awards. These are only a few: In 1988, the Spelman's Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching In1994, the Spelman's Presidential Faculty Award for Distinguished Service In 1994, NAM's Distinguished Service Award. In 1995, the Louise Hay Award. In1996, the Honorary Degree: Doctorate of Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2001, she won along with Dr. James H.M.N. Henderson, the AAAS Lifetime Mentor Award.