Alfred M. Kenyon papers

Alfred Monroe Kenyon was born December 10, 1869, on a farm near Cleveland, Ohio. He attended the district school, where, curiously enough, from his earliest school days his nickname was "Professor".

In the fall of 1884 he entered the Medina High School, from which he graduated in 1887. The next two years he taught in the Medina township school, using his spare time mastering the Latin and Greek languages.

He was admitted to Hiram College in 1890. There, in partnership with A. A. Young, he helped make his college expenses doing job printing, an experience he deemed of great value to him in his later years. In 1894 he graduated from Hiram College with highest honor, receiving his A. B. degree.

The same year Mr. Kenyon was made principal of the Wellington (Ohio) High School, serving two years. During 1896-97 he was a graduate student of Western Reserve University, at the same time teaching freshmen mathematics in Case School of Applied Science.

In 1897-98 he was a graduate student and university-scholar at Harvard University, taking his A. M. degree in 1898. That winter he taught elementary mathematics to boys in the Charlestown Naval School, the school building being the old ship "Constitution."

Mr. Kenyon came to Purdue as instructor in mathematics under the regime of President Smart, when Purdue had 750 students. Former President Stone was then vice-president. In 1901, Mr. Kenyon became an assistant professor, and a professor in 1908. In 1900 he was appointed registrar of Purdue, virtually creating that office. He held this position until 1908, when he became head of the Department of Mathematics, succeeding Prof. Clarence A. Waldo.

Mr. Kenyon was a member of the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Association of America, the Indiana Academy of Science, the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, the American Association of University Professors, the executive committee of the faculty and of the Y. M. C. A., financial secretary of the Purdue Union campaign committee, and also a member of the honorary scientific society, Sigma Xi. He was author, in conjunction with others, of three text-books, and numerous articles in scientific periodicals, one published after his death.

Professor Kenyon passed away July 27, 1921.