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Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition |
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The question of prizes to stimulate interest in mathematics was brought up again in 1957, but this time with respect to high school students. A committee was appointed to solicit university and industrial financial support for a competition among the high school students of Michigan, and to organize the project and proceed with the prize examinations. Financial support being forthcoming, the committee set up a procedure with two examinations, the first, which would be machine graded, would eliminate some of the contestants, and the second, more of an essay exam, would be individually graded and lead to the award of prizes. Much credit goes to the first exam committee. Their efforts to get the competition off the ground were monumental. This committee consisted of R. H. Oehmke (MSU), A. J. Lohwater (UM), A. W. Jacobson (Wayne), and F. L. Celauro (CMU). Bob Oehmke, now at Iowa, recently recalled "As there was no budget, we had to borrow money to get the competition started, and we invited graduate students to my basement to help stuff the envelopes!" The first contest was held in the spring of 1958 and drew 6100 students from 315 high schools. Since then the competition has mushroomed, reaching at times about 25,000 high school students from close to 600 schools participating in the preliminary contest. Along with competition committee members, one has to cite the untiring efforts of Jim McKay of Oakland University, who early on directed several competitions and helped to streamline the whole process. Computerization of some aspects of the competition began at Michigan State University, and later, at Western Michigan University, it was expanded to include most of the process. The host universities furnished computer time and facilities for the competition. Industry has been generous in its financial support, and the universities and colleges have greatly supported the program. Later on, as the competition evolved, it became known as the Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition (MMPC), with the director and a four-person examination committee appointed by the Section Executive Committee, and with a special awards program as the final feature of each competition. The winners, parents, teachers, and the 60 or so college and university faculty who had graded Part II of the examination, would be invited to the awards banquet. The awards, designated as Gold, Silver, and Bronze, consist of about 50 university scholarships, currently ranging from $500 to $2600, as well as 50 honorable-mention book awards. For the past 25 years the figures for participating students and schools are given in the following table. |
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Support for the MMPC and the awards have come from Unisys Corporation (formerly Burroughs Corporation), Michigan Bell, Bell Communication Research Laboratory, Aeroquip, Clark Equipment, Consumers Power, The Upjohn Company, Ford Motor Company, Arvco Container Corporation, Mr. Jerome Kohler of Kalamazoo, Kuhlman Corporation, Dover Publications, and A K Peters, Ltd. For the past several years the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics has underwritten the cost of the honorable mention book awards. In 1989 MMPC funds were used to provide scholarships for up to 20 non-seniors from the top 100 honored at Awards Day to attend the 1989 Seaborg Summer Academy at Northern Michigan University. |
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For the most part, each year the MMPC Examination Committee consisted of four faculty members from various institutions, each member serving a four-year term with the last year as chairperson. The first committee in 1958 consisted of Robert H. Oehmke (MSU), Arthur J. Lohwater (UM), A. W. Jacobson (WSU), and Frank L. Celauro (CMU). |
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Graphing Calculators and the MMPC |
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With the increased use of graphing calculators in the secondary mathematics classrooms it was inevitable that the question would arise concerning the use of graphing calculators on the MMPC. In the summer of 1994 the Executive Committee of the Section formed an ad hoc committee, chaired by Paul Eenigenburg (WMU), to investigate whether calculators should be permitted on the Michigan Mathematics Prize Exam. Other members on the committee were Melvin Billik (Midland H. H. Dow High School), Ruth Favro (LTU), John Fink (Kalamazoo C), Yury Ionin (CMU), Robert Messer (Albion C), Kenneth Schilling (UM-Flint), and Marcia Weinhold (Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center). The committee recommended that (1) calculators would be permitted on Part I, but not on Part II; (2) machines with QWERTY keyboards would not be allowed; (3) exam supervisors would not clear memories; (4) although some problems may require the technology of a scientific calculator, the exam committee should strive to ensure that no problem will give a significant advantage to someone having a calculator with graphing, programming, or CAS capabilities; and (5) exam supervisors should provide feedback after Part I is given. These recommendations were approved by the Executive Committee in its March 1995 meetings. Graphing calculators without QWERTY keyboards were first permitted for Part I of the thirty-ninth competition, given in fall 1995. In 1999 the policy was changed to allow any calculator (but not computer) on Part I. |
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The MMPC and the ARML Competition |
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In spring of 1989 Professors Robert Messer of Albion College and John Fink of Kalamazoo College organized Michigan's all-star team of high school math students to enter the American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) competition as a follow-up to the MMPC. The members were selected from the top 100 students in the MMPC. Professors Messer and Fink, along with Mel Billik, head of mathematics at Dow High School in Midland, held two training sessions and accompanied the team to the competition at Pennsylvania State University. Michigan's team was pleased to place second in Division B of the 1989 competition. Participation in the ARML is now an annual event, with major funding coming from the Matilda Wilson Fund. In 1998 Robert Messer, John Fink, Ruth Favro of Lawrence Technological University, along with William Harris, chair of the Mathematics Department at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, recruited MMPC award recipients to represent Michigan in the ARML Competition. Support for the three practice sessions and travel to Iowa City was provided to the Michigan Section through a grant from the Matilda Wilson Fund, with additional funding from the Charles M. Bauervic Foundation. |
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These pages are maintained by Scott Barnett. Please send any additions or corrections to sebarnett@hfcc.edu.