Lynn Steen

Lynn Arthur Steen (January 1, 1941 – June 21, 2015) was an American mathematician who was a professor of mathematics at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, in the U.S. He wrote numerous books and articles on the teaching of mathematics. He was a past president of the Mathematics Association of America (MAA) and served as chairman of the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences.

Biography Steen was born in Chicago, Illinois, but was raised in Staten Island, New York. His mother was a singer at the N.Y. City Center Opera and his father conducted the Wagner College Choir. In 1961, Steen graduated from Luther College with a degree in mathematics and a minor in physics. In 1965 Steen graduated from MIT with a Ph.D. in mathematics. He then joined the faculty of St. Olaf College.

At the beginning of Steen's career, he mainly focused on teaching and helping develop research experiences for undergraduates. His teaching led Steen to begin to investigate the links between mathematics and other fields. He wrote many articles aimed for a non-mathematical audience about new developments in mathematics. The majority of his work in the 1970s was regarding mathematical exposition, communicating mathematical research to students, teachers, and the public. 2012 - Fellow of the American Mathematical Society 1999 - Award of Appreciation, American Mathematical Society of Two Year Colleges (AMATYC). 1996 - Sc. D., honoris causa, Concordia College (MN), Wittenberg University, Ohio (1991), Luther College, Iowa (1986). 1992 - Award for Distinguished Service, The Mathematical Association of America. 1989 - Board of Directors Special Award, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society 1985 - Elected to Phi Beta Kappa. 1982 - Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 1973 - Lester R. Ford Awards for Expository Writing, The Mathematical Association of America (1973, 1975). 1960 - National Science Foundation Science Faculty Fellowship, Institute Mittag-Leffler, Djursholm, Sweden. 1965 - Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (Field: Mathematics.) 1961 - Danforth (1961–65), Woodrow Wilson (1961–62), and National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships. 1961 - B.A., Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. (Majors: Mathematics, Physics; Minor: Philosophy.)