Mathematics Professor Edward Brown died Tuesday of cancer. He was 64 years old.
Brown began his Dartmouth career in 1964 as one of the earliest Young Research instructors in the mathematics department. He went on to be only one of two such research instructors to advance to regular faculty positions, including vice chair of the mathematics department.
James Baumgartner, chair of the mathematics department, said Brown had been at the College for "about the longest time that anyone can be."
Registrar and Mathematics Professor Thomas Bickel said Brown had "made a name for himself at MIT," where he earned his doctorate in mathematics in 1964. "He was very talented in mathematics," Bickel said.
Bickel said Brown last taught classes about a year ago. Brown had been working towards gradual retirement, teaching only one class per term.
Risana Zitha '99, who took Brown's Math 13: Multivariable Calculus his freshman spring, said Brown was "a really good professor."
"When I went from [Math] 11 to 13, I was just taking math for fun, not necessarily [because] I wanted to do anything in the math department," Zitha said.
But Brown "sparked my interest in carrying on with mathematics," he said.
Joel Stanton '99, a math minor, said Brown was "one of the top two math professors I ever had."
Stanton took both Brown's Math 13 and Math 23: Differential Equations classes.
In addition to being "really nice," Brown "explained the material clearly, which a lot of math professors don't always do," Stanton said.
Stanton said Brown was "friendly to students and easy to approach."
Bickel said Brown was "enormously enthusiastic in everything he did."
Bickel especially remembered a student protest at Parkhurst Administration building against the Vietnam War during which Brown played a prominent role in defusing the situation. Brown remained adamant "that the College should not overreact" because the protesters "were making an important statement that the College should pay attention to," Bickel said.
Brown had many interests outside of mathematics, including raising pigs. "He had his own supply of pork chops," Baumgartner said.
Brown was "a genius at car repair," Baumgartner added, and owned several cars he had repaired.
Another interest of Brown's was playing the bagpipes, which he occasionally played at Commencement, Baumgartner said.
He said Brown was also interested in computer science and he once taught a computer science class, when the computer sciences were still part of the mathematics department.
Brown is survived by his wife, Charlotte, two sons, Ian and Evan, a daughter, Heidi, and his stepdaughter Monique.
A memorial service will be held in Rollins Chapel at 2 p.m. on April 18.
