Max Dehn - Black Mountain College

Black Mountain College

In March of 1944, Dehn was invited to give two talks at Black Mountain College on the philosophy and history of mathematics. He noted in a letter that a lecture on an advanced mathematical topic didn't seem appropriate given the audience. He instead offered up the lectures “Common roots of mathematics and ornamentics," and "Some moments in the development of mathematical ideas." Black Mountain College faculty contacted him shortly after concerning a full time position. After negotiating his salary from $25 to $40 per month, Dehn and his wife moved into housing provided by the school and he began teaching in January of 1945.

While at Black Mountain College, Dehn taught courses in Mathematics, Philosophy, Greek, and Italian. In his class “Geometry for Artists,” Dehn introduced students to geometric concepts such as points, lines, planes and solids; cones sectioned into circles, ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas; spheres and regular polyhedrons. His classes had an emphasis on the way shapes relate to each other, a concept that can be useful in artistic mediums.

He enjoyed the forested mountains found in Black Mountain, and would often hold class in the woods, giving lectures during hikes. His lectures frequently drifted off topic on tangents about philosophy, the arts, and nature and their connection to mathematics. He and his wife took part in community meetings and often ate in the dining room. They also regularly had long breakfasts with Buckminster Fuller and his wife.

In the summer of 1952 Dehn was made Professor Emeritus, which allowed him to remain on campus and act as an advisor. Unfortunately he died of an embolism shortly thereafter while overseeing the removal of several dogwood trees from the campus. He is buried in the woods on the campus.