# Gertrude Blanch

> American mathematician (1897–1996)

**Wikidata**: [Q5553285](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5553285)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Blanch)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gertrude-blanch

## Summary

Gertrude Blanch was born on February 2, 1897 in Kolno[1][2] and died on January 1, 1996 in San Diego[1][3]. She held United States citizenship[3] and worked as a mathematician and computer scientist[3]. Her education included Eastern District High School, New York University, and Cornell University[1][3].She taught at Hunter College from 1936 to 1937[1][4][5], then led computation for the Mathematical Tables Project from 1938 to 1948[1][4][5]. From 1948 to 1952 she worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology[1][4][5], followed by a position at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base from 1954 to 1967[1][4][5].Her honors include the Federal Woman’s Award, a United States Air Force award or decoration, the Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, and election as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences[4][3]. She was a member of the American Mathematical Society, Mathematical Association of America, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences[3].

## Summary
Gertrude Blanch (1897–1996) was an American mathematician and computer scientist. She worked on large-scale mathematical computation and table-making through roles at the Mathematical Tables Project, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and she received major U.S. federal and Air Force civilian honors for her work.

## Biography
- Born: 1897-02-02, Kolno (Russian Empire)
- Died: 1996-01-01, San Diego
- Nationality: United States (citizenship from 1921)
- Education: Eastern District High School; New York University (1927–1932); Cornell University (1932–1935)
- Known for: Work in mathematical computation, including leadership/participation in the Mathematical Tables Project and later federal computing-related work
- Employer(s): Hunter College (1936–1937); Mathematical Tables Project (1938–1948); National Institute of Standards and Technology (1948–1952); ElectroData Corporation (1952–1953); Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (1954–1967)
- Field(s): Mathematics; computer science

## Contributions
Gertrude Blanch contributed to mathematical computation through a sequence of academic, federal, and industry roles. After working at Hunter College (1936–1937), she was affiliated with the Mathematical Tables Project (1938–1948), a Works Progress Administration mathematical project in the United States. She later worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (1948–1952), followed by ElectroData Corporation (1952–1953), and then Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (1954–1967).  

Her documented scholarly work includes a doctoral thesis, *Properties of the Veneroni Transformation in S_4* (1936), completed under doctoral advisor Virgil Snyder. In recognition of her federal service, she received a United States Air Force award or decoration (1958), the Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service (1963), and the Federal Woman’s Award (1964). Her professional standing is also reflected in memberships in organizations including the American Mathematical Society, Mathematical Association of America, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and election as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

## FAQs
### Q: Who was Gertrude Blanch?
A: Gertrude Blanch was an American mathematician and computer scientist (1897–1996). She worked in mathematical computation across academia, federal institutions, and the U.S. Air Force research environment.

### Q: What is Gertrude Blanch’s birth name?
A: Her birth name was Gittel Kaimowitz. She is also listed under the alias Gertrude K. Blanch.

### Q: Where did Gertrude Blanch work?
A: She worked at Hunter College (1936–1937), the Mathematical Tables Project (1938–1948), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (1948–1952), ElectroData Corporation (1952–1953), and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (1954–1967).

### Q: What awards did Gertrude Blanch receive?
A: She received a United States Air Force award or decoration (1958), the Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service (1963), and the Federal Woman’s Award (1964). She was also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

## Why They Matter
Gertrude Blanch matters for her sustained, recognized work at the intersection of mathematics and computing in major U.S. institutional settings. Her career spans the Mathematical Tables Project (1938–1948), a prominent U.S. effort devoted to producing mathematical tables, and later roles at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (1948–1952) and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (1954–1967), indicating long-term involvement in computation-oriented work within federal science and defense contexts.  

Her impact is also evidenced by formal recognition from the U.S. Air Force and the federal government, including the Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service (1963) and the Federal Woman’s Award (1964). These honors signal that her contributions were considered significant within U.S. civilian scientific service. Additionally, her memberships in major mathematical and applied mathematics societies—and her status as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences—place her within the professional networks that shaped 20th-century American mathematics and computation.

## Notable For
- Worked for the Mathematical Tables Project (1938–1948), a Works Progress Administration mathematical project in the United States
- Employment at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (1948–1952)
- Long tenure at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (1954–1967)
- Federal Woman’s Award (1964)
- Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service (1963)

## Body
### Identity and names
- Name: Gertrude Blanch
- Alias: Gertrude K. Blanch
- Birth name: Gittel Kaimowitz
- Occupations: mathematician; computer scientist
- Sex or gender: female

### Life events
- Birth: 1897-02-02 in Kolno (Russian Empire)
- U.S. citizenship: United States (from 1921)
- Death: 1996-01-01 in San Diego

### Education and training
- Attended: Eastern District High School
- Studied at New York University (1927–1932)
- Studied at Cornell University (1932–1935)
- Doctoral advisor: Virgil Snyder
- Academic thesis: *Properties of the Veneroni Transformation in S_4* (1936)

### Career and affiliations
- Hunter College (employer): 1936–1937
- Mathematical Tables Project (employer): 1938–1948
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (employer): 1948–1952
- ElectroData Corporation (employer): 1952–1953
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (employer): 1954–1967

### Honors and recognition
- United States Air Force award or decoration (1958)
- Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service (1963)
- Federal Woman’s Award (1964)
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

### Professional memberships
- American Mathematical Society
- Mathematical Association of America
- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Phi Beta Kappa Society
- American Association of University Women

### Archives and identifiers
- Archives: Charles Babbage Institute (CBI 162)
- ISNI: 0000000040265127
- VIAF: 18823315
- GND: 172485134
- Library of Congress authority ID: n89605985
- Mathematics Genealogy Project ID: 9284
- zbMATH author ID: blanch.gertrude-k
- Scopus author ID: 57189204754

## References

1. MacTutor History of Mathematics archive
2. Pioneering Women in American Mathematics
3. [Source](https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/627896)
4. [Source](https://books.google.cat/books?id=YTcDAQAAQBAJ)
5. [Source](https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7228/ad0a641d4be2d3c9d43747ce1528bace5397.pdf)
6. International Standard Name Identifier
7. Virtual International Authority File
8. [Source](http://archives.lib.umn.edu/repositories/3/resources/278)
9. Mathematics Genealogy Project