Blackwell, David
1919-2010 · Contribution: 1950s-1980s
Mathematician and statistician
First Black member of the National Academy of Sciences; first Black tenured professor at UC Berkeley; Blackwell channel model in coding/information theory

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Quick facts
- Born
- 1919, Centralia, Illinois
- Active since
- 1941
- Category
- Science & Medicine
- Best known for
- First Black member of the National Academy of Sciences
Impact on the world
Blackwell reshaped multiple fields of mathematics and statistics, and broke through some of the most exclusive barriers in American academia, opening doors for Black scholars who followed.
Sources
- National Academy of Sciences biographical directory
1 more sources and references are available to members.
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