urn:taro:utexas.cah.01406 A Guide to the William G. Chinn Papers, 1955-1995 Original EAD encoding by Beth Nettels according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. February 2010 Finding aid written in English. December 2012Finding aid modified and updated to current formatting by Elliot Williams. Descriptive Summary Chinn, William G. (1919-2004) William G. Chinn Papers 1955-1995 Materials are written in English. 2009-274 505951708 6 ft., 6 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin Correspondence, reports, memoranda, and publications document William G. Chinn’s interactions with and functions in several American mathematical organizations including the Mathematical Association of America, the School Mathematics Study Group, and the United States Commission on Mathematical Instruction (1959-1995). Biographical Note

William G. Chinn (1919-2004) was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He received his A.B. in Mathematics in 1941, and his M.A. in 1956, both from the University of California, Berkeley. Between completing his bachelor’s degree and beginning his master’s, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces as an aide to General Eugene Lowry Eubank and as a meteorologist.

After WWII, he received his teaching credential (U.C. Berkeley, 1947). Chinn began working as a teacher for the San Francisco public school system at both the junior and senior high levels in 1947, and would continue to do so until 1965. During this time Chinn also served as a curriculum assistant for the San Francisco Unified Schools (1960-1963), a district consultant for the Monterey Unified School District (1960-1961), committee chairman of the California Mathematics Council (1956-1960), and as a special consultant to the California Office of Education (1965).

In 1966, Chinn took a post as an instructor of mathematics at the City College of San Francisco, where he would continue to work until his retirement in 1984. He was actively involved in the mathematics community, and was a member of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), the American Mathematical Society(AMS), and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), serving on several committees for each of those organizations. His profound interest in mathematics education led to his involvement with various organizations and councils, including the School Mathematics Study Group (1965-1977), the U.S. Commission on Mathematical Instruction (1973-1977), the NCTM’s Commission on Mathematics Education in the Inner City (1969-1972), and the MAA Committee on Two-Year Colleges.

In addition, Chinn published numerous articles, and co-authored several textbooks including Modern Mathematics: Structure and Method (1972), and Introductory Statistics and Probability: a basis for decision making (1971). He also served as an editor for the Two-Year College Mathematics Journal, the New Mathematical Library series, and as a contributing editor for Science World Magazine.

 Scope and Contents

Correspondence, reports, memoranda, and publications document William G. Chinn’s interactions with and functions in several American mathematical organizations including the Mathematical Association of America, the School Mathematics Study Group, and the United States Commission on Mathematical Instruction (1959-1995). Galleys and manuscripts illuminate Chinn’s activities as an author of mathematics textbooks and journal articles, as well as his activities as a speaker at mathematics conferences. The bulk of the collection concerns Chinn’s involvement in mathematical organizations, with little material related to his personal life.

Forms part of the Archives of American Mathematics.

 Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

 Use Restrictions

This collection is stored remotely at CDL, except for the photographs, which are stored on site. Advance notice required for offsite boxes. Contact repository for retrieval.

 Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Alder, Henry L Begle, Edward G. (Edward Griffith), 1914-1978 Chinn, William G. Lax, Anneli Steenrod, Norman Earl, 1910-1971 Subjects (Organizations) Mathematical Association of America School Mathematics Study Group United States Commission on Mathematical Instruction Subjects Community colleges Mathematics education Mathematics—Study and teaching—Periodicals New mathematical library Topology Topology—Textbooks Places California Northern California Preferred Citation

William G. Chinn Papers, 1955-1995, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

 Related Material

See also:

Mathematical Association of America Records New Mathematical Library Records Price (G. Baley) Papers School Mathematics Study Group Records Steenrod (Norman Earl) Papers

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Beth Nettels, February 2010.

 Detailed Description of the Papers I. Organizations 2009-274/1 Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Committee on Two-Year Colleges Correspondence General, 1971-1976 Appointments, 1971-1974 Sounding Board, 1973-1974 Memos and reports, 1971-1973 Notes, 1974 Committee address lists, 1972-1973, undated Meetings Missoula, Montana, 1973 Washington, D.C., 1975 Publications “Concerns of Two-Year Colleges” drafts, correspondence, and background material, 1972-1974 U.C. Berkeley relations with Bay area two-year colleges, 1973-1975 Printed materials “The Math Connexion,” Illinois Mathematics Association of Community Colleges, March 1979 2009-274/2 Northern California Section Executive Committee Correspondence and memos, 1976-1981, undated Agendas, minutes, and reports, 1979-1981, 1987-1995 Officers list, 1980 Section meetings Programs and flyers, 1972-1993 Correspondence with speakers, 1978-1980 Newsletter, 1977-1989 Department of Education correspondence, 1978-1979 Notes, 1970s “Math Blitz” coordinator packet, 1980 Annual High School Mathematics Examination, 1987-1992 Two Year College Mathematics Journal Correspondence Editorial Board, 1969-1975, undated Readers, 1970-1971 2009-274/3 General, 1972-1974, 1977-1981 MAA Takeover of TYCMJ, 1972 Merger with Mathematics Association of Two-Year Colleges journal, 1972-1975, undated “News and Notices” galleys and correspondence, 1972-1976 Editors directory, 1974 2009-274/4 Committee on New Priorities for Undergraduate Education Correspondence and memos, 1971-1973 Reports and drafts, 1973 AMS/MAA Joint Meetings Arrangements Committee Correspondence, 1973, 1980 Meeting agendas and minutes, 1980-1981 Programs, 1972-1982 New Mathematical Library correspondence, 1970-1982 Pilot Internship Program, 1971-1972 American Mathematical Monthly reviews correspondence, 1972 NSF proposals Summer Seminar in Mathematics, 1972 Project Using Modules correspondence, 1973-1975 2009-274/5 Relations with Chinese mathematicians, 1973, 1980-1982 Visiting Lecturer’s Program, 1973 Donations correspondence, 1977-1980 MAA Archives correspondence, 1978 Executive and Finance Committee memos and correspondence, 1979-1982 Math Olympiads Annual High School Math Exam, 1980, 1982 Nebraska and South Dakota Section Meeting manuscript and correspondence, 1981-1982 Newsletter, 1981 School Mathematics Study Group (SMSG) Administrative Advisory Board reports, minutes, and memos, 1959-1971 Statement of Purpose, circa 1959 Panel and committee minutes, 1961-1969 Travel expense forms, 1966-1972 Progress Reports, 1968-1970 Grant renewal request, 1969 Projects Programmed Learning Project, 1961-1962, undated PLP Mathematics Inventory, 1962, 1964 Film project correspondence and notes, 1963 2009-274/6 TV Mathematics for Elementary Teachers, Film Text Evaluation, 1963 “One-year Study of Under-Achievers in Mathematics,” 1964 Special Curriculum Project, 1965-1967 Elementary Mathematics Project, 1966-1969 Mathematics For All Children, Austin, TX, 1966 Project coordinator contract, 1968 Publications New Mathematical Library Correspondence, 1968-1975, undated First Concepts of Topology (NML 18) Correspondence (2 folders), 1962-1986 2009-274/7 Manuscript and notes, 1960s Annotated draft, 1960s Manuscript, 1960s "First Course in Algebra" Manuscripts and correspondence, 1961-1962, undated Summer Writing Sessions Correspondence and memos, 1963-1970 Book reviews, 1965 2009-274/8 Curriculum reform drafts, 1968-1969, undated Secondary school mathematics course outlines, 1968, undated Responsibilities for School Mathematics in the ‘70s Notes, papers, and schedule, 1970 “Unit Number Three,” undated Book sales receipts and correspondence, 1963, 1966-1967 Correspondence General, 1960-1975, undated Max Bell, 1964-1969 Science Research Associates, 1965-1966, 1969, 1971 Ed and Elsie Begle, 1969-1978, 1982 Ed Begle memorial, 1978, undated Handwritten notes, undated Printed materials, 1965, undated Clippings, undated California Mathematics Council (CMC) Correspondence Conference materials, 1956-1969 Archives, 1980-1981 Officer candidate lists, 1969, 1970s CMC, Community Colleges, 1972-1974, 1978, undated 2009-274/9 United States Commission on Mathematical Instruction (USCMI) Second International Congress on Mathematical Instruction (ICME), 1971-1972 Second and Third ICME program announcements, 1972, 1976 Correspondence, reports, and minutes, 1973-1977 Fourth ICME correspondence Planning Committee, 1978-1979 Site Selection Committee, 1977-1980 Schools Liaison Committee, 1980 California Department of Education Correspondence and reports, 1969-1981 Statewide (Cal.) Mathematics Advisory Committee report, circa 1968 ESEA Title III reviews (Cal.) and correspondence, 1971-1975 ESEA Title IV-C reviews and correspondence, 1976-1979 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Symposium on Miller Mathematics Improvement Programs, 1969 Correspondence, 1980 National Science Foundation Proposal reviews, 1966-1980 II. Creative Works 2009-274/10 Publications “3.1416 and All That” Science World column manuscripts and notes, 1963-1965 Annotated book manuscript, circa 1968 Correspondence and contract, 1968-1970 Introductory Statistics and Probability Correspondence, notes, and drafts, 1969-1971 Revised edition correspondence, notes, and drafts, 1973-1975 “Modern Mathematics” galleys (1 and 2 of 4 folders), 1971 2009-274/11 “Modern Mathematics” galleys (3 and 4 of 4 folders), 1971 Arithmetic and Calculators Correspondence, revisions, and notes, 1973-1976 Annotated manuscripts, June 1975 2009-274/12 Manuscript, circa 1975 Manuscript, Book 2, October 1975 “Mathematics Around Us” problem sets, circa 1975 “Notes on Vector Calculus,” 1978 “Calculus for the Life Sciences, “ 1980s Unidentified manuscript, undated Correspondence with Houghton Mifflin, 1963-1971 2009-274/13 Conference Papers Topology lectures, 1971-1977, undated “Intuitive Credibility (?) for the Beginner in Probability and Statistics,” (NCTM), Tuscon, Las Vegas, 1972, 1973 “Objectives: the Name of the Game,” (CMC-North), Asilomar, CA, 1972 “Problems Related to Inner City Environment and Minority Groups,” (ICME) Exeter, England, 1972 “A Report of Current MAA Activities for the Two-Year College…” Hayward, CA, 1972 “Pancakes and Ham Sandwiches,” Santa Maria, CA, 1974 “The Hand-held Calculator in the Two-Year College,” Cincinnati, 1977, undated “Construction of Test Items in an Assessment of School Mathematics,” undated Printed Materials Jacobs, Harold R. Elementary Algebra. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1976 III. Teaching 2009-274/13 Future Scientists of America West Coast teachers summer conference, 1955 University of California Education Extension correspondence, 1961-1963 Letter to editor of The Mathematics Teacher, 1963 San Francisco Unified School District curricular material, 1963 Memo, draft proposal of Richmond Unified School District, 1966 City College of San Francisco correspondence, 1970, 1973, 1979 IV. Personal 2009-274/13 Education Math 202 course notes and homework, 1960 Correspondence, 1975, circa 1976 Newsletter, U.S. Sen. Alan Cranston, June 1978 V. Photographs 4RM203c Future Scientists of America West Coast teachers summer conference, 1955 Professional portrait, undated