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SUNY Potsdam to Honor Legacy of Dr. Clarence Stephens Sr. in Special Event

SUNY Potsdam Celebrates Black Excellence & Mathematical Excellence in Event Honoring the Pioneering Professor Dr. Clarence F. Stephens Sr.

Potsdam, NY (04/18/2023) — SUNY Potsdam will host a special event honoring the legacy of a pioneering faculty member, the late Professor Emeritus Dr. Clarence F. Stephens Sr. (1918-2018), on Thursday, April 20, from 2:30 to 4 p.m., in the Barrington Student Union Multi-Purpose Room.

The event is designed to celebrate both Black excellence and mathematical excellence, reflecting on the incredible achievements of Dr. Stephens. The speakers include:

  • SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor Dr. Laura Person,
  • alumna Adebisi Oje '12, a sales director for data and AI financial services for Microsoft and the CEO/founder of Africode,
  • and Trinity Paquin '23, a BA/MA student in mathematics and secondary education.

Stephens was the ninth African American to have earned a Ph.D. in mathematics, and also served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He went on to serve on the faculty at first Prairie View A&M University and then Morgan State University. He was awarded a Ford Fellowship to study at Princeton University's Institute for Advanced Study alongside Dr. Albert Einstein in 1953. In 1962, he joined SUNY Geneseo's mathematics department as chair, before later accepting a position at SUNY Potsdam in 1969, where he served as professor and chair until his retirement in 1987.

Stephens is perhaps best remembered for bringing about the "Potsdam Miracle," in which under his guidance, the College graduated a large number of accomplished math students. Many of those students were from underrepresented backgrounds and a significant number went on to graduate study. Over the years, he was presented with three honorary doctorates in recognition of his achievements, including one from SUNY. In 1983, he was inducted into the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, as part of the Living History Project, recognizing Black Americans in the sciences. He passed away in 2018, at the age of 100.

To learn more about mathematics at SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/math.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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Dr. Clarence Stephens will be honored in a special event at SUNY Potsdam, home of his “Potsdam Miracle” in mathematics, on April 20.

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