Julia Trueman Coppitts (1875-1936)

COPPITTS

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/1/2009 at 20:25:26

AMES DAILY TRIBUNE AND TIMES, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Monday, August 10, 1936.

PROF. JULIA COLPITTS DIES IN ENGLAND

WAS TEACHER OF MATHEMATICS AT I. S. MANY YEARS

Believe on Way to America When Stricken

Word was received here Monday of the death of Julia Trueman Coppitts, 61, associate professor of mathematics at Iowa State college for many years at Southampton, England, Saturday morning. It was believed that Miss Colpitts was on her way back to America when death occurred.

Miss Colpitts was on her vacation, traveling in Europe with a group of scientists from all over the world. Earlier in the summer she had attended teh International Mathematical congress in Oslo, Norway. Miss Colpitts had planned to attend the meeting of the international Federation of University Women at Cracow, Poland, as a representative of the Ames branch of the American Association of University Women.

She had arranged to meet Maria Roberts, mathematics professor at Iowa State college, and to travel with her, but it is not known whether or not they were together when Miss Colpitts died.

Cause Unknown

She had always seemed in good health and it was unknown here what may have caused her death. Last winter, for the first time in 35 years of teaching, she missed a class because of illness, Dr. E. F. Smith, head of the mathematics department, said. She underwent an operation at that time.

Julia Trueman Colpitts was born in Pointe de Bute, New Brunswick, Canada, Feb. 22, 1875. She attended Mr. Allison university in New Brunswick and received her bachelor of arts degree from there. She was awarded a master of arts degree from Cornell university, and had attended summer sessions at Iowa State college as a member of the mathematics department. She served continuously in that department except for one year's leave of absence, unti her death.

Author

She was a member of Sigma Xi, Phi Kappi Phi, Sigman Delta Epsilon, A. A. U. W. Together with Dean Roberts, she published a book "Analytical Geometry," and is the author of many papers on mathematical subjects.

She was a past national president of the Women's Scientific Society.

Two brothers and a sister survive Miss Colpitts. They are E. H. Colpitts of the America Telephone and Telegraph company in New York, E. C. Colpitts of Pullman, Wash., and a sister in California.

The body will be brought to America for burial, but as yet it is not known where the burial will take place.

Miss Colpitts lived in the Cranford apartments here.

Thousands of mathematics graduates remember "Aunt Julia," her excellent instruction, and her sincere interest in each of them. Among all the alumni, she was one of the best loved, Dr. Smith said. She had been expected back to resume her teaching in the fall, and her death will leave a vacancy hard to fill.