Elizabeth Glenadine Gibb was a prominent teacher and author in mathematics education. Her gift to the Mathematics Education Trust (MET) supports classroom-based research in precollege mathematics education.
Gibb received her B.A. from Western Illinois State University, her M.A. from George Peabody College for Teachers at Vanderbilt University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. She began her career as a high school mathematics and science teacher. Later she was appointed professor of mathematics at Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa), and eventually she joined the faculty of the University of Texas (UT) in Austin, where she taught until she retired. At UT, she was a professor of mathematics education with a joint appointment in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the Department of Mathematics.
Gibb was a strong supporter of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). She spoke at many regional and annual meetings. She was the first editor of the NCTM journal
Arithmetic Teacher,
a position that she held for six years. Gibb served as NCTM Vice President in 1958 and NCTM President in 1974. In 1977, she was elected president of the Alliance of American Associations for the Advancement of Education.
Gibb authored or coauthored articles that appeared in more than 100 publications, including
Arithmetic Teacher, Mathematics Teacher, Journal of Educational Research, Today's Education, Mental Measurements Yearbook, School Science and Mathematics Journal,
and
Grade Teacher.
She also wrote for Scott Foresman's elementary mathematics textbook series and coauthored an early research study, "General Mental Functions Associated with Division."
Gibb was honored for her many accomplishments. She was the first faculty member in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at UT to be appointed to an endowed professorship, the Catherine Mae Parker Centennial Professorship in Education.
After her death in 1984, the Board of Regents of the University of Texas established the E. Glenadine Gibb Fellowship in her memory.