Buffalo bones: State's 1st mathematician

By Carl V. Hallberg

Wyoming State Archives

The first mathematician at the University of Wyoming was Albert Monroe Sawin. Very little is known about his early life. He was born on April 3, 1858 in Union, Wis. to pioneer residents of the area. He married Josephine Alice Hull in Evansville in June 23, 1885. They had three children.

One thing known for certain was that Sawin was gifted with a keen mind. He attended the University of Wisconsin and graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Afterwards, he served as president of the Wisconsin Mathematical Society, studied law and was a law clerk, worked as an assistant geologist, studied at Johns Hopkins University, was a high school principal and was a professor of mathematics at Mankato State University.

After the University of Wyoming was established in 1886, the university trustees and President John Hoyt canvassed the country – so the newspaper claimed – and eventually secured the services of Albert Sawin from Johns Hopkins University where he was doing graduate work. Sawin was seen as a man of “rare ability and great promise” and a “young man of rare achievements and high promise.” All in all, he seemed a good fit for the fledgling university.

When Sawin arrived when the university was opened in September 1887, he came with considerable experience in teaching and university administration. More importantly, he was recognized as a mathematical scholar. His particular interest was algebraic equations, for which he had numerous published articles under his belt.

Sawin was tasked with the duty of developing a mathematics program for the university, and went to work immediately. Within a year, he found himself wearing many hats, teaching mathematics, physics, applied agriculture, astronomy, surveying and engineering. Near the end of his term, he lectured in civics.

But it was for mathematics that he was most remembered. Harriett Knight Orr, class of 1898, believed that “he was a mathematical genius. I am sure his mind was in some far mathematical sphere...” He also published several papers in mathematical journals, a source of pride to the university and the community. He was one of 13 mathematicians nationwide selected to present a paper at International Mathematical Congress at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It was a prestigious honor.

In addition to his academic work, Sawin was active in the Wyoming Academy of Arts and Sciences, Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Populist Party in Wyoming.

In July 1892, Sawin left the University of Wyoming. His reasons for doing so are not clear. One reference suggests that his contract was not renewed. Another source has suggested that the university was not measuring up to Sawin’s standards. He may have sought to expand the department, for which he was the sole faculty member, or wanted to expand opportunities for which the university could not or would not support.

His leaving seemed bittersweet. The Laramie Weekly Sentinel did indicate that “he is the unfortunate possessor of some disagreeable mental peculiarities,” yet many friends were sorry to see him go but wished him well.

Sawin was unsure what his immediate future held. For now he and his family were returning to his family’s home in Wisconsin. In the ensuing years, he taught mathematics at Northwestern University, Clark University, and Syracuse University. He earned a divinity degree from the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in 1894, continued to publish mathematical articles, and remained active in the scholarly community.

By 1910, however, Sawin’s life had had numerous setbacks and downturns. He was no longer in academia, divorced and living with his mother and brother in Wisconsin. Following his mother’s death in 1911, he and his brother, Charles, moved to Oregon. Albert Monroe Sawin died on March 28, 1917 in Hermiston, Oregon, and was buried in Evansville, Wisconsin.

At the time of his death, Sawin was a forgotten figure in university and mathematical circles. A brilliant intellect and founder of the University of Wyoming’s mathematics department deserved better.