Enuenwemba Obi

B.S. 1955, Mathematics & Physics, University of Kansas City
M.S. 1958, Mathematics, University of Kansas City
Enuenwemba Obi 1960 Enuenwemba Obi 1955
About Enuenwemba:
[First posted 24 September 2015; latest update 9 Oct. 2015]
Pictures from: UKC Yearbook 1955 (Left), Bethanian Yearbook 1960 (Right)

Enuenwemba, a native of Warri, Nigeria, the son of Chief M. F. Obi-Otedhe and Kogena Maduanwusu, came to the United States in Feb. 1952 as part of a group of seven Nigerians on missionary scholarships. He had previously taught mathematics at a mission high school, and also completed a senior Cambridge English certificate from the University of Cambridge, England. He first studied at McPherson College in McPherson, KS, where he seems to have informally adopted the first name "Joseph".

Time Magazine, in its Dec. 29, 1952, vol. 60, issue 26, p. 11, published an article titled "The One-Town Skirmish" describing the effect those seven black Nigerians had on the segregated town of McPherson, recording one of "Joe's" experiences, and how one woman brought the people around to accepting these new resident students. The article mentions that Enuenwemba is 26. In the Jan. 19, 1953, vol. 61, issue 3, Letters section, a letter from Enuenwemba was published:

"Sir: I have to thank you on behalf of my other comrades for your leading article [TIME, Dec. 29]. You cannot imagine what a world of good the publication has done. Letters have been streaming in to all of us, especially to Mrs. Switzer, and it affords one great joy to know that there are a great many sympathizers for the noble cause which alone has a tremendous power to stay the tide of that monstrous ideology, Communism . . .
JOSEPH ENUENWEMBA OBI McPherson College McPherson, Kans."

After two years at McPherson College, he moved to the University of Kansas City (UKC) on a full scholarship for his senior year, 1954-1955. There he became president of the Cosmopolitan Club, initiating on Oct. 17, 1954 a series of programs featuring talks. In November 1954, he won the annual $250 Rotary award "made each year to a foreign student who intends to return to his own country and who displays financial need and scholarship ability as demonstrated by the school's granting of full scholarhip previously." He later spoke at Rotary functions and attended the district Rotary conference in Spring 1955.

After graduating from UKC in 1955, he held a graduate teaching assistantship at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE.

He then won a teaching fellowship in our department at UKC. In June 1958, Enuenwemba earned his M.S. degree from us. His advisor was Dr. Maria Castellani, and his 88 page Master's Thesis was titled The Prime Number Theorem.

During the summer of 1958, he taught for UKC and also as a part-time instructor for the nearby Park College. The following notice about him appeared later that summer in the "Washington Afro-American" newspaper of Washington, D.C., Aug. 12, 1958, p. 11:

Afro-American newspaper-Enuenwemba Obi

Another notice about him appeared later that summer in a national magazine. From "Jet" magazine, Aug. 21, 1958, p. 23:

Jet-Enuenwemba Obi
In Fall 1958, he started his Assistant Professor of Physics and Mathematics position at Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS. A note of his Bethany appointment appeared in the American Mathematical Monthly, News and Notices, in Dec. 1958.

Since 1955, he had also been writing for West African newspapers, such as the "West African Pilot", the "Nigerian Citizen", and others. From the Bethany College "Messenger" of Feb. 5, 1960 "Professor Obi Writes for Nigerian Newspapers".

Two years later, at the end of the school year in 1960, he left Bethany College and received a fellowship to Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS. There he took Physics classes during Summer and Fall of 1960, living in the Jardine Apartments campus housing.

During 1961-1962, he took a position at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas as Assistant Professor in the Division of Natural Sciences. In Spring 1962, he wrote a short book "Peace-Corpsism", 78 pages, Pageant Press, NY. The UMKC Miller Nichols Library has a copy donated by him, with the handwritten inscription "To U.K.C. Library, compliments of the author Enuenwemba Obi, Nov. 2, 1962." In the Preface dated May 19, 1962, he says he is "deeply indebted to my friends and close associates", among others, Dr. Jerry Bails and Dr. Norman Royall, Jr. "all of whom I had met at the University of Kansas City and with whom I had many lively sessions." He ends with:

"Last but certainly not least, I will ever cherish the memory of the free and stimulating atmosphere of the University of Kansas City, an institution which made so much difference in my outlook on life."

During 1962-1963, in the Wichita State University Directory he was listed as an Instructor in Mathematics. He was likewise listed in the 1963-1964 directory, but with the addition "(Resigned)". [Wichita State University Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives]

[The information above is taken variously from: The "Bethany Messenger" newspaper of Bethany College, all front page articles, Sept. 19, 1958, "Faculty Members, Changes announced for '58-'59 Year", Feb. 5, 1960, "Professor Obi Writes for Nigerian Newspapers", and Sept. 30, 1960, "Profs of the 1960 Exodus: What Happened to Them?"; Time Magazine, Dec. 29, 1952, vol. 60, issue 26, p. 11, and Jan. 19, 1953, vol. 61, issue 3, Letters section; The book "Peace-Corpsism", front pages; American Mathematical Monthly, vol. 65, No. 5, May 1958, News and Notices, Personal Items, p. 382, and in the same section in vol. 65, No. 10, Dec. 1958, p. 797; UKC University News, Oct. 15, and Nov. 19, 1954; "Washington Afro-American" newspaper, Washington, D.C., Aug. 12, 1958, p. 11; "Jet" magazine, Aug. 21, 1958, p. 23; Wichita State University Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives; Wichita State University student newspaper "Sunflower", Nov. 9, 1962, p. 2, "Prof's Book Published".]
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