Abstract

Jerome K. Percus (1926-2021) was a physicist and mathematician who taught in both the NYU Departments of Mathematics and Physics and spent the majority of his academic career at NYU. His research and teaching focused on many-body systems, statistical and mathematical physics, biophysics, chemical physics, and mathematical biology. Ora Engelberg Percus was a mathematician who taught as an adjunct professor in the NYU Department of Mathematics, in addition to her previous teaching positions at the University of Tel Aviv, Columbia University's Teachers College, and City College (CUNY). Her primary research interests included many-body systems, probability and queueing theory, and random number generators. The Jerome K. and Ora Engelberg Percus Papers (dated 1933-2021) consist of materials documenting the academic careers of Jerome K. Percus and Ora Engelberg Percus. Materials in this collection include correspondence; college and graduate school coursework; research files, including data and calculations; original writings in various stages of completion; teaching files, including course materials and lecture notes; grant proposals and other project files; and conference presentations. Materials documenting Jerome and Ora's original research represent their scholarly outputs, both as individuals and as collaborators who often co-authored work together. This collection also documents Ora Engelberg Percus' experiences as a woman in the male-dominated field of mathematics. Correspondence, resumes, and legal filings document her tenure denial at City College, CUNY's policy in the 1970s of required unpaid maternity leave, her claims of gender discrimination for being dismissed while pregnant, and her participation in the Melani v. CUNY lawsuit. The collection also includes materials documenting Jerome K. Percus' early life, including childhood drawings, photographs, and school yearbooks.