724:
490:, and of its most distinguished faculty member, Albert Einstein, until its separate building was completed in 1939. The other founding faculty member, and the person who convinced the funders to situate the IAS in Princeton, was Oswald Veblen, one of Fine’s original preceptors. Whereas he had been drawn to Germany for his PhD in the 1880s, shortly after his death, Princeton University and the Institute of Advanced Study surpassed Göttingen as the world’s center of mathematical physics.
483:
Education Board and
Rockefeller Foundation to support Princeton’s growing science programs. As a consequence, in the 1920s only the University of Chicago attracted more National Research Council Fellowships and no Princeton application was rejected. In addition to his duties as Dean of Science, Fine served on numerous campus committees, especially chairing the Board of Athletic Control. In the community he served on and chaired the Board of Education for many years.
25:
422:, and replacing several senior faculty members. Wilson convinced the Trustees to hire 50 new young faculty members he called ‘preceptors’. The addition of this large number of young, enthusiastic junior faculty had a significant impact on the quality, focus and seriousness of Princeton at both the undergraduate and
482:
Fine continued teaching, publishing leading textbooks and occasional articles, and building his departments. The
Department of Mathematics’ prestige led, in 1921, to it hosting Albert Einstein’s first American lectures. In the 1920s, Fine was particularly successful in raising money from the General
465:
However, Wilson lost his attempt to reduce the influence of
Princeton’s undergraduate ‘eating clubs’ and to have the Graduate College constructed in the middle of campus. When Wilson left to enter politics, Fine became acting president in all but name, while also serving as President of the American
486:
His sister had founded Miss Fine’s School and his brother founded
Princeton Preparatory School. Bicycling to visit the latter on a dark December evening in 1928 he was struck and killed by a car. In response, his close friend and wealthy Princeton Trustee, Thomas D. Jones, funded construction of
429:
Because Wilson lacked interest in science and mathematics, he delegated the preceptor appointments to Fine, giving him the opportunity to transform
Princeton's programs in those fields. Fine had an extraordinary ability to identify talented individuals in these fields and a commitment to promoting
388:
of
Mathematics in 1885 and soon established himself as a leader in the faculty, ultimately named the Dod Professor of Mathematics in 1898. In addition, his reputation beyond Princeton grew through publications and his role as one of the founding members of the
470:
for the rest of his career. With Hibben's ascendance, Fine became in reality what he had long been, Dean of the
Departments of Science, a position he held until his death 1928. He remained deeply loyal to Princeton, turning down offers of the presidency of
487:
Fine Hall, arguably the finest mathematics building in the country. Jones' response to cost overruns was "nothing is too good for Harry Fine. Finished in 1931, Fine Hall served as the first home of the new
Institute of Advanced Study
414:" in the country. However, the young faculty whom McCosh had nurtured, including Fine, and their allies on the Board of Trustees grew restive and pushed him out in favor of Wilson in 1902. Wilson quickly chose Fine to be his
458:. His time was increasingly focused on administration and the controversies that eventually dragged down the Wilson presidency. He and Wilson won one battle, gaining control of the Graduate School from Wilson’s archenemy,
650:
397:(Class of 1879) that led to his subsequent impact on Princeton and American scholarship. Fine, (Class of 1880), one year behind Wilson, assisted him as a junior and then succeeded him as Managing Editor of the
430:
their careers. His initial preceptorial appointments all went on to become respected mathematicians and when some vacancies developed, he replaced them with similar young talent. He also recruited established
346:, George B. Halstead, convinced him to switch his considerable talents to mathematics. He ranked highest academically in his Class of 1880 for all four years, during which he caught the attention of President
1466:
1476:
466:
Mathematical
Society. Although Fine had loyally supported Wilson’s losing proposals and was a leading candidate to become president, he then loyally supported President
403:, the campus's student newspaper. When Wilson joined the Princeton faculty in 1890 their relationship resumed, beginning a close and consequential lifelong friendship.
1441:
434:
and
European mathematicians. By 1911, Princeton’s Department of Mathematics ranked as one of the top three in America and had become the home of the prestigious
1461:
1456:
443:
In addition, Fine jump-started Princeton’s weak science departments by recruiting some leading scientists, including mathematical physicist James Jeans
1471:
790:
688:
1421:
307:
accurately recognized Fine’s role both in training American mathematicians to provide international leadership to this field and in building
1426:
42:
462:. While ceremonial leadership remained with West, Fine became the dominant force in turning Princeton into a modern research university.
133:
1431:
1436:
108:
89:
61:
1251:
1342:
494:
46:
350:. As a result, Fine was among a small group of highly talented undergraduates whom McCosh invited to his house for informal
68:
1366:
800:
703:
498:
390:
1326:
783:
600:
75:
1053:
153:
35:
57:
693:
476:
418:
as the Dean of the College. They set about transforming Princeton by raising academic standards, revising the
1275:
847:
815:
776:
447:
331:
930:
550:
399:
1152:
1144:
1096:
989:
973:
914:
601:"JEAN F. SPAHR DIES; WELFARE WORKER; Pioneer in Settlement House Movement Was Graduate of Smith College"
436:
407:
194:
172:
1451:
1446:
1104:
922:
750:
509:
455:
378:
308:
244:
683:
997:
882:
831:
760:
679:
459:
768:
1005:
946:
415:
370:
82:
479:
as well as Wilson’s offers to name him Ambassador to Germany and to the Federal Reserve Board.
1219:
1176:
1120:
1045:
1029:
1013:
890:
719:
467:
1350:
1235:
1128:
1088:
1021:
898:
823:
728:
527:
276:
251:
1168:
1069:
423:
316:
523:
1318:
1227:
1136:
1112:
394:
335:
1415:
1291:
1267:
1259:
1243:
1160:
1037:
981:
954:
839:
569:
451:
431:
361:) for a year of post-graduate work followed by three more years as a tutor. Then, as
320:
291:
Henry Burchard Fine (1858 – 1928) played a critical role in modernizing the American
280:
184:
1390:
1283:
938:
874:
625:
444:
411:
347:
260:
132:
574:
1382:
1358:
1334:
1195:
1061:
866:
374:
366:
296:
256:
234:
24:
715:
1310:
1203:
546:
419:
406:
After McCosh’s retirement in 1888, the College of New Jersey’s new President,
358:
292:
216:
1398:
1374:
1211:
488:
385:
699:
541:
357:
After graduation, Fine remained at Princeton (then called the College of
315:. Fine’s efforts contributed greatly toward making Princeton the site of
304:
275:(September 14, 1858 – December 22, 1928) was an American university
518:
501:
and served as its President in 1911–1912. Among his publications were:
362:
351:
312:
299:“from a state of approximate nullity to one verging on parity with the
505:
472:
300:
343:
339:
324:
772:
18:
393:. However, it was reviving his undergraduate friendship with
410:, was satisfied to preside over what he called "the best
454:. He nurtured younger scientists such as astronomer
1302:
1187:
1080:
965:
858:
807:
250:
240:
230:
212:
202:
190:
180:
161:
139:
123:
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
578:, Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society
1467:Presidents of the American Mathematical Society
1477:Members of the American Philosophical Society
784:
8:
628:, To Advance Knowledge, (1986), pp. 200-203.
497:in 1897. He was one of the founders of the
791:
777:
769:
733:
303:nations”. This tribute in Oswald Veblen’s
131:
120:
384:He returned to Princeton as an Assistant
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
689:MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
592:
1442:People from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
365:was the leading center of mathematics
725:Works by or about Henry Burchard Fine
615:– via timesmachine.nytimes.com.
7:
1462:20th-century American mathematicians
1457:19th-century American mathematicians
545:, with Henry Dallas Thompson (1909)
450:, and biologist Edwin Grant Conklin
446:, physicist Owen Wilnans Richardson
47:adding citations to reliable sources
330:Fine began his time as a Princeton
14:
1472:Mathematicians from Pennsylvania
749:Dod Professor of Mathematics at
354:and nurtured as future faculty.
23:
575:Henry Burchard Fine—In memoriam
34:needs additional citations for
522:(1891; second edition, 1903)
495:American Philosophical Society
311:reputation in mathematics and
1:
801:American Mathematical Society
704:Mathematics Genealogy Project
499:American Mathematical Society
391:American Mathematical Society
323:lectures, and eventually his
1422:Princeton University faculty
716:Works by Henry Burchard Fine
1427:Princeton University alumni
582:, (1929), pp. 726–730.
553:Historical Math Collection.
1493:
1054:Theophil Henry Hildebrandt
373:to study mathematics with
154:Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
1432:Leipzig University alumni
757:
747:
741:
736:
377:under whom he earned his
266:
223:
130:
1437:American science writers
744:Dr. John Thomas Duffield
694:University of St Andrews
493:Fine was elected to the
477:Johns Hopkins University
1276:Cathleen Synge Morawetz
848:Robert Simpson Woodward
816:John Howard Van Amringe
638:Princeton Alumni Weekly
448:Owen Willans Richardson
931:Leonard Eugene Dickson
551:University of Michigan
309:Princeton University’s
16:American mathematician
1153:Charles B. Morrey Jr.
1145:Abraham Adrian Albert
1097:Gordon Thomas Whyburn
990:Earle Raymond Hedrick
974:George David Birkhoff
915:Edward Burr Van Vleck
684:"Henry Burchard Fine"
517:The Number System of
437:Annals of Mathematics
408:Francis Landey Patton
371:University of Leipzig
295:and raising American
195:University of Leipzig
173:Princeton, New Jersey
58:"Henry Burchard Fine"
1105:Raymond Louis Wilder
923:Ernest William Brown
751:Princeton University
680:Robertson, Edmund F.
655:search.amphilsoc.org
651:"APS Member History"
607:. September 26, 1935
456:Henry Norris Russell
342:, but a mathematics
245:Princeton University
198:Princeton University
43:improve this article
998:Luther P. Eisenhart
907:Henry Burchard Fine
883:William Fogg Osgood
832:George William Hill
761:Luther P. Eisenhart
700:Henry Burchard Fine
678:O'Connor, John J.;
640:, October 30, 1931.
460:Andrew Fleming West
273:Henry Burchard Fine
125:Henry Burchard Fine
1006:Arthur Byron Coble
947:Gilbert Ames Bliss
799:Presidents of the
605:The New York Times
150:September 14, 1858
1409:
1408:
1220:Andrew M. Gleason
1177:Saunders Mac Lane
1121:Edward J. McShane
1046:Marshall H. Stone
1030:Griffith C. Evans
1014:Solomon Lefschetz
891:Henry Seely White
767:
766:
758:Succeeded by
737:Academic offices
720:Project Gutenberg
534:A College Algebra
468:John Grier Hibben
369:, he went to the
317:Albert Einstein’s
270:
269:
252:Doctoral advisors
225:Scientific career
208:May Margaret Fine
165:December 22, 1928
119:
118:
111:
93:
1484:
1402:
1394:
1386:
1378:
1370:
1362:
1354:
1351:Eric Friedlander
1346:
1338:
1330:
1322:
1314:
1295:
1287:
1279:
1271:
1263:
1255:
1247:
1239:
1236:Irving Kaplansky
1231:
1223:
1215:
1207:
1199:
1180:
1172:
1164:
1156:
1148:
1140:
1132:
1129:Deane Montgomery
1124:
1116:
1108:
1100:
1092:
1089:John von Neumann
1073:
1065:
1057:
1049:
1041:
1033:
1025:
1022:Robert Lee Moore
1017:
1009:
1001:
993:
985:
977:
958:
950:
942:
934:
926:
918:
910:
902:
894:
886:
878:
870:
851:
843:
835:
827:
824:Emory McClintock
819:
793:
786:
779:
770:
755:1891–1928
742:Preceded by
734:
729:Internet Archive
696:
665:
664:
662:
661:
647:
641:
635:
629:
623:
617:
616:
614:
612:
597:
528:Internet Archive
168:
149:
147:
135:
121:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
1492:
1491:
1487:
1486:
1485:
1483:
1482:
1481:
1412:
1411:
1410:
1405:
1397:
1389:
1381:
1373:
1365:
1357:
1349:
1341:
1333:
1325:
1317:
1309:
1298:
1290:
1282:
1274:
1266:
1258:
1252:William Browder
1250:
1242:
1234:
1226:
1218:
1210:
1202:
1194:
1183:
1175:
1169:Nathan Jacobson
1167:
1159:
1151:
1143:
1135:
1127:
1119:
1111:
1103:
1095:
1087:
1076:
1070:Joseph L. Walsh
1068:
1060:
1052:
1044:
1036:
1028:
1020:
1012:
1004:
996:
988:
980:
972:
961:
953:
945:
937:
929:
921:
913:
905:
897:
889:
881:
873:
865:
854:
846:
838:
830:
822:
814:
803:
797:
763:
754:
745:
712:
677:
674:
669:
668:
659:
657:
649:
648:
644:
636:
632:
624:
620:
610:
608:
599:
598:
594:
589:
566:
426:school levels.
289:
287:Life and career
259:
207:
197:
191:Alma mater
176:
170:
166:
157:
151:
145:
143:
126:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1490:
1488:
1480:
1479:
1474:
1469:
1464:
1459:
1454:
1449:
1444:
1439:
1434:
1429:
1424:
1414:
1413:
1407:
1406:
1404:
1403:
1395:
1387:
1379:
1371:
1363:
1355:
1347:
1343:George Andrews
1339:
1331:
1323:
1319:David Eisenbud
1315:
1306:
1304:
1300:
1299:
1297:
1296:
1288:
1280:
1272:
1264:
1256:
1248:
1240:
1232:
1228:Julia Robinson
1224:
1216:
1208:
1200:
1191:
1189:
1185:
1184:
1182:
1181:
1173:
1165:
1157:
1149:
1141:
1137:Joseph L. Doob
1133:
1125:
1117:
1113:Richard Brauer
1109:
1101:
1093:
1084:
1082:
1078:
1077:
1075:
1074:
1066:
1058:
1050:
1042:
1034:
1026:
1018:
1010:
1002:
994:
986:
978:
969:
967:
963:
962:
960:
959:
951:
943:
935:
927:
919:
911:
903:
895:
887:
879:
871:
862:
860:
856:
855:
853:
852:
844:
836:
828:
820:
811:
809:
805:
804:
798:
796:
795:
788:
781:
773:
765:
764:
759:
756:
746:
743:
739:
738:
732:
731:
722:
711:
710:External links
708:
707:
706:
697:
673:
670:
667:
666:
642:
630:
618:
591:
590:
588:
585:
584:
583:
565:
562:
561:
560:
554:
537:
531:
514:
416:right-hand man
395:Woodrow Wilson
321:North American
288:
285:
268:
267:
264:
263:
254:
248:
247:
242:
238:
237:
232:
228:
227:
221:
220:
214:
210:
209:
204:
200:
199:
192:
188:
187:
182:
178:
177:
171:
169:(aged 70)
163:
159:
158:
152:
141:
137:
136:
128:
127:
124:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1489:
1478:
1475:
1473:
1470:
1468:
1465:
1463:
1460:
1458:
1455:
1453:
1450:
1448:
1445:
1443:
1440:
1438:
1435:
1433:
1430:
1428:
1425:
1423:
1420:
1419:
1417:
1400:
1396:
1392:
1388:
1384:
1380:
1376:
1372:
1368:
1367:Robert Bryant
1364:
1360:
1356:
1352:
1348:
1344:
1340:
1336:
1332:
1328:
1324:
1320:
1316:
1312:
1308:
1307:
1305:
1301:
1293:
1292:Felix Browder
1289:
1285:
1281:
1277:
1273:
1269:
1268:Ronald Graham
1265:
1261:
1260:Michael Artin
1257:
1253:
1249:
1245:
1244:George Mostow
1241:
1237:
1233:
1229:
1225:
1221:
1217:
1213:
1209:
1205:
1201:
1197:
1193:
1192:
1190:
1186:
1178:
1174:
1170:
1166:
1162:
1161:Oscar Zariski
1158:
1154:
1150:
1146:
1142:
1138:
1134:
1130:
1126:
1122:
1118:
1114:
1110:
1106:
1102:
1098:
1094:
1090:
1086:
1085:
1083:
1079:
1071:
1067:
1063:
1059:
1055:
1051:
1047:
1043:
1039:
1038:Marston Morse
1035:
1031:
1027:
1023:
1019:
1015:
1011:
1007:
1003:
999:
995:
991:
987:
983:
982:Virgil Snyder
979:
975:
971:
970:
968:
964:
956:
955:Oswald Veblen
952:
948:
944:
940:
936:
932:
928:
924:
920:
916:
912:
908:
904:
900:
899:Maxime Bôcher
896:
892:
888:
884:
880:
876:
872:
868:
864:
863:
861:
857:
849:
845:
841:
840:Simon Newcomb
837:
833:
829:
825:
821:
817:
813:
812:
810:
806:
802:
794:
789:
787:
782:
780:
775:
774:
771:
762:
753:
752:
740:
735:
730:
726:
723:
721:
717:
714:
713:
709:
705:
701:
698:
695:
691:
690:
685:
681:
676:
675:
671:
656:
652:
646:
643:
639:
634:
631:
627:
622:
619:
606:
602:
596:
593:
586:
581:
577:
576:
571:
570:Oswald Veblen
568:
567:
563:
558:
555:
552:
548:
544:
543:
538:
535:
532:
529:
525:
524:PDF/DjVu copy
521:
520:
515:
512:
511:
507:
504:
503:
502:
500:
496:
491:
489:
484:
480:
478:
474:
469:
463:
461:
457:
453:
452:Edwin Conklin
449:
445:
441:
439:
438:
433:
427:
425:
421:
417:
413:
409:
404:
402:
401:
396:
392:
387:
382:
381:in one year.
380:
376:
372:
368:
364:
360:
355:
353:
349:
345:
341:
337:
333:
332:undergraduate
328:
326:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
302:
298:
294:
286:
284:
282:
281:mathematician
278:
274:
265:
262:
258:
255:
253:
249:
246:
243:
239:
236:
233:
229:
226:
222:
218:
215:
211:
205:
201:
196:
193:
189:
186:
183:
179:
174:
164:
160:
155:
142:
138:
134:
129:
122:
113:
110:
102:
99:February 2024
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
1391:Ruth Charney
1327:James Arthur
1284:Arthur Jaffe
939:Frank Morley
906:
875:Thomas Fiske
748:
687:
658:. Retrieved
654:
645:
637:
633:
626:Roger Geiger
621:
609:. Retrieved
604:
595:
579:
573:
556:
539:
533:
516:
508:
492:
485:
481:
464:
442:
435:
428:
412:country club
405:
400:Princetonian
398:
383:
356:
348:James McCosh
329:
290:
272:
271:
261:Carl Neumann
241:Institutions
224:
206:John B. Fine
167:(1928-12-22)
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1452:1928 deaths
1447:1858 births
1401:(2023–2024)
1393:(2021–2022)
1385:(2019–2020)
1383:Jill Pipher
1377:(2017–2018)
1369:(2015–2016)
1361:(2013–2014)
1359:David Vogan
1353:(2011–2012)
1345:(2009–2010)
1337:(2007–2008)
1335:James Glimm
1329:(2005–2006)
1321:(2003–2004)
1313:(2001–2002)
1294:(1999–2000)
1286:(1997–1998)
1278:(1995–1996)
1270:(1993–1994)
1262:(1991–1992)
1254:(1989–1990)
1246:(1987–1988)
1238:(1985–1986)
1230:(1983–1984)
1222:(1981–1982)
1214:(1979–1980)
1206:(1977–1978)
1198:(1975–1976)
1196:Lipman Bers
1179:(1973–1974)
1171:(1971–1972)
1163:(1969–1970)
1155:(1967–1968)
1147:(1965–1966)
1139:(1963–1964)
1131:(1961–1962)
1123:(1959–1960)
1115:(1957–1958)
1107:(1955–1956)
1099:(1953–1954)
1091:(1951–1952)
1072:(1949–1950)
1064:(1947–1948)
1062:Einar Hille
1056:(1945–1946)
1048:(1943–1944)
1040:(1941–1942)
1032:(1939–1940)
1024:(1937–1938)
1016:(1935–1936)
1008:(1933–1934)
1000:(1931–1932)
992:(1929–1930)
984:(1927–1928)
976:(1925–1926)
957:(1923–1924)
949:(1921–1922)
941:(1919–1920)
933:(1917–1918)
925:(1915–1916)
917:(1913–1914)
909:(1911–1912)
901:(1909–1910)
893:(1907–1908)
885:(1905–1906)
877:(1903–1904)
869:(1901–1902)
867:E. H. Moore
850:(1899–1900)
842:(1897–1898)
834:(1895–1896)
826:(1891–1894)
818:(1888–1890)
540:Coördinate
375:Felix Klein
367:scholarship
297:mathematics
257:Felix Klein
235:Mathematics
181:Nationality
1416:Categories
1311:Hyman Bass
1204:R. H. Bing
660:2024-02-28
587:References
420:curriculum
359:New Jersey
293:university
217:Jean Spahr
146:1858-09-14
69:newspapers
1399:Bryna Kra
1375:Ken Ribet
1303:2001–2024
1212:Peter Lax
1188:1975–2000
1081:1951–1974
966:1925–1950
859:1901–1924
808:1888–1900
611:April 20,
386:Professor
334:studying
213:Relatives
564:Obituary
557:Calculus
547:PDF Copy
542:Geometry
510:Elements
506:Euclid's
432:American
424:graduate
352:seminars
305:obituary
301:European
219:(sister)
203:Children
185:American
727:at the
702:at the
672:Sources
519:Algebra
363:Germany
313:science
83:scholar
559:(1927)
536:(1904)
513:(1891)
473:M.I.T.
319:first
231:Fields
175:, U.S.
156:, U.S.
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
549:from
526:from
344:tutor
340:Latin
336:Greek
90:JSTOR
76:books
613:2022
475:and
338:and
325:home
279:and
277:dean
162:Died
140:Born
62:news
718:at
379:PhD
45:by
1418::
692:,
686:,
682:,
653:.
603:.
580:35
572:,
440:.
327:.
283:.
792:e
785:t
778:v
663:.
530:.
148:)
144:(
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
