Education
His Doctor of Philosophy advisor at Harvard was George David Birkhoff.
His Doctor of Philosophy advisor at Harvard was George David Birkhoff.
Brink entered Kansas State College at age 14 and by age 19 had two bachelor"s degrees and was employed as an instructor of mathematics in Moscow, Idaho. He taught at the state preparatory school of the University of Idaho. He returned to school at Harvard and earned a doctorate in 1916 and was a longtime professor at the University of Minnesota, and also authored numerous math textbooks.
He served as president of the Mathematical Association of America from 1941-1942.
Brink was the husband of author Carol Ryrie Brink, whom he had met during his first year in Idaho when both were teenagers. She was nearly six years his junior.
They wed nine years later in 1918, following her graduation from college. Married for over 55 years at the time of his death, they had two children, David and Nora (Hunter).
David (b 1919) became an attorney and later headed the American Bar Association.