Sex and Math in Harvard Yard

James Mills Peirce (1834-1906) was a respected—and secretly gay—mathematics professor at Harvard University. This imaginative biography recreates college life at Harvard in the late nineteenth century and gives a realistic portrait of the life of an intellectual coming to terms with his homosexuality. The intimate glimpses into his romantic affairs add a charming touch to the historically accurate description of graduate education and academic life in New England. Those with an interest in the history of mathematics and the early history of the gay movement in Europe will especially appreciate this thoughtful and thoroughly researched presentation by a scholar of both fields.