In the final year of the U.S. Civil War, Thomas Scott Fiske was born in New York, hundreds of miles away from the conflict that pitted "brother against brother." Fiske entered Columbia College in 1882, thirty years before it became Columbia University, and received his A.B. in 1885 and his A.M. in 1886. He also received his doctorate in 1888 from Columbia College. Before completing his doctorate, he spent some time in England and studied under Forsyth, Richmond, and Glaisher and attended some lectures by Cayley. After receiving his doctorate, he eventually became a full professor at Columbia University in 1897.
Fiske published only a few articles relating to mathematical research. However, he made a significant contribution to American mathematics when he founded the American Mathematical Society in 1888. After its founding, he held a variety of positions in the Society, including secretary (1888 - 1895), treasurer (1890 - 1891), editor-in-chief of the Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society (1891 - 1899), vice-president (1898 - 1901), editor of the Transactions of the American Mathematical Society (1899 - 1905), and president (1903 - 1904).
Fiske organized a meeting on November 24, 1888 in New York. From
this meeting, the New York Mathematical Society was founded in 1889. Originally,
it had only 11 members, including Fiske, Jacoby, Stabler, J.H. Van Amringe,
and several others, with Van Amringe serving as the first president.
J.E. McClintock later joined the society in December 1889 and became the
second, and final, president of the New York Mathematical Society, as the
Society became a national organization in 1894 and changed its name to
the American Mathematical Society.
The American Mathematical Society
(AMS) still exists today and serves many functions for advancing mathematics
and mathematical research in the United States. It publishes recent
research and findings, lists career and employment opportunities in the
field of mathematics, and addresses other topics related to mathematics
and mathematics education.
Author: Tony Brinsko
References:
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Fiske.html
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Societies/AMShistory.html
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