Mary Kenneth Keller
Who was Mary Kenneth Keller?
Mary Kenneth Keller was an American nun, mathematician, and computer scientist. She was among the first people in the world to earn a PhD in Computer Science, and was the first woman in the U.S. to do so.
Sister Mary Kenneth Keller, BVM went by many names, but here we will refer to her as Sister Keller.
Sister Keller was born Evelyn Marie Keller in Cleveland, Ohio in 1913. She took the name Sister Mary Kenneth after joining the Catholic congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVMs) at age 18. Sister Keller held three degrees; a B.S. in Mathematics and a M.S. in Mathematics and Physics, both from DePaul University, and a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin — Madison.
She earned her B.S. in 1943 — a rare feat for women of the time. Only around 3.8% of Americans had a college education in the 1940s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“Automation, or more precisely, cybernation, is a fact of our lives. Its impact is swift and in many ways silent. Our sense of responsibility should make us wish to be informed and to inform our students.... Furthermore, the computer can give a new dimension to the education we offer”
— Sister Mary Kenneth Keller, PhD [1]
