Early Life and Education:

• Born on September 9, 1914, in Memphis, Tennessee
• Father was Lawrence Johnson Lee, a railway postal clerk; mother Mary Taylor Lee died when Marjorie was nearly two
• Stepmother Lottie, a schoolteacher, encouraged her education
• Attended LeMoyne High School, a private Methodist school for Black students
• Won the Memphis City Women’s Tennis Singles Championship in 1929
• Graduated from LeMoyne High School in 1931

Higher Education:

• Attended Howard University, graduating cum laude with a B.S. in Mathematics in 1935
• Taught at Gilbert Academy in New Orleans while saving for graduate school
• Earned her M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Michigan in 1939
• Taught at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas while attending Michigan during summers
• Completed her Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of Michigan in 1949, becoming only the third African-American woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics

Career and Achievements:

• Joined the faculty at North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University) in 1949
• Served as chair of the Mathematics Department from 1951 to 1970
• For 25 years, was the only faculty member with a Ph.D. in mathematics
• Secured a $60,000 grant from IBM in 1960 to establish one of the first electronic digital computer centers at a minority college
• Taught both undergraduate and graduate courses
• Wrote proposals for equipment and obtained grants for scholarships from major corporations
• Studied combination topology at Cambridge University in the early 1950s
• National Science Foundation Faculty Fellow at UCLA from 1958 to 1959

Contributions to Education:

• Ran summer institutes for secondary school teachers to improve mathematics education
• Provided financial support to gifted students from her own funds
• Mentored notable students including Joseph Battle, William Fletcher, and Nathan Simms

Recognition and Awards:

• First recipient of the W.W. Rankin Memorial Award for Excellence in Mathematics Education in 1974
• Member of numerous organizations including the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America
• One of the first African-American women to serve on the advisory council of the National Science Foundation

Legacy:

• Retired in 1979
• Died of a heart attack on October 19, 1979, in Durham, North Carolina
• Four of her students established the Marjorie Lee Browne Trust Fund at North Carolina Central University
• The fund sponsors the Marjorie Lee Browne Scholarship and Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series
• University of Michigan runs the Marjorie Lee Browne Scholars program in her honor

Marjorie Lee Browne’s life and work exemplify dedication to mathematics education and the advancement of African-Americans in STEM fields. Her pioneering achievements and commitment to mentoring and supporting students have left a lasting impact on mathematics education in the United States.