Scope and Contents
The collection includes correspondence, reports, photographs, articles, biographical information, his World War II memories in written form, oral history audio file and transcript (2007) (digitized), an article titled "Some Recollections about the Hope College Preparatory School" (1997), memos, chapel talks, and a bibliography. Subjects include the Hope College mathematics department and mathematical education.
Dates
- Creation: 1943 - 2011
Creator
- Folkert, Jay E. (Jay Ernest), 1916- (Person)
Biography
Jay Ernest Folkert was born in Overisel, Michigan, in 1916. He attended District #1 school in Overisel Township (Allegan County, Michigan), and Hope College High School for his primary and secondary education. He received college degrees from Hope College (B.A., 1939), The University of Michigan (M.A., 1940) and Michigan State University (Ph.D., 1955). He studied at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), American University in Washington, D.C., Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida and Florida Southern in Tampa, Florida.
Folkert began his professional career as a teacher at Hamilton Public School in Hamilton, Michigan (Allegan County), and taught 6th-8th grade classes in all subjects there from 1940-1942. He left that position in February 1942 when he was drafted by the U.S. government to serve as a weather officer in the United States Army Air Corp from 1942-1945. During his service, he received the Bronze Star (1944). After his discharge from service in December 1945, he returned to teaching in January 1946, this time in the math department at Holland Christian High School in Holland, Michigan. He left that position to become a professor in the math department at Hope College in September 1946.
At Hope College, Folkert served as instructor (1946-1949), assistant professor (1949-1952), associate professor (1952-1957), professor (1957-1982), department chairperson from 1957 to 1971, and director of Hope College Summer School from 1956-1958. He also served on many educational panels, including the National Science Foundation, and served as director of the summer institutes, supported by the National Science Foundation, at Hope College from 1960-1962, 1967-1974. During the 1969-1970 academic year, Folkert introduced the use of computers in the teaching at Hope College with his Introductory Statistics class. In 1973, he was named Outstanding Educator of America. He retired from Hope College in 1982, after 36 years of service.
Jay E. Folkert passed away on August 9, 2011.
Extent
1.00 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Professor of mathematics, 1946-1982; coordinator of National Science Foundation Mathematics Summer Institute, 1960-1974. The collection includes correspondence of Jay Folkert and from friends and relatives to J. H. Koopman of Overisel, Michigan, death notice of Henry Kollen, school certificates of Geziena Kollen Koopman, Overisel Centennial Calendar, reports, photographs, articles, biographical information, his World War II memories in written form, oral history audio file and transcript (2007) (digitized), an article titled "Some Recollections about the Hope College Preparatory School" (1997), memos, chapel talks, and a bibliography. Subjects include the Hope College mathematics department and mathematical education.
Provenance
Jay E. Folkert
Photographs
19 images (Boxes 1 and 2)
Source
- Hope College (Donor, Organization)
- Status
- Completed
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Hope College Archives and Special Collections Repository
Van Wylen Library
53 Graves Place
Holland Michigan 49423 United States
616-395-7798
archives@hope.edu
