Yolo-Alameda County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....ALDER , Henry Ludwig November 6 2004 ********************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/obits/ca/obitsca.htm ********************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Peggy B. Perazzo pbperazzo@comcast.net July 17, 2004, 11:06 pm "The Davis Enterprise," Saturday, November 9, 2002 Henry L. Alder Henry Ludwig Alder, a Davis resident and professor of mathematics at UC Davis since 1948, died on Nov. 6, 2002, at his home from complications caused by colon cancer. He was 80 years old. He was born as a Swiss citizen in Duisburg, Germany, on March 26, 1922, to Ludwig and Otti Alder. In 1933, he moved with his family to Zurich, Switzerland, where he completed high school and one semester at the Swiss Polytechnic Institute. In 1941, he moved with his family to Berkeley, where he studied chemistry and mathematics at UC Berkeley receiving a bachelor of arts degree in both fields in 1942. He continued graduate work in mathematics and received a Ph.D. in math in 1947, after interruption of his studies by service in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1944 to 1945. Appointed a math instructor at UC Berkeley in 1947, Alder transferred to UC Davis in 1948 where he remained, advancing through the ranks to full professor. His primary field of interest in mathematics was number theory, specifically partition theory. He also had a strong interest in statistics and regularly taught statistics courses at UCD, which resulted in several textbooks. He was honored for his teaching excellence with the UC Davis Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1976. Alder actively served the University of California. At was a department chairman and served on many department committees at the campus level. He was the first chairman of the Committee on Culturally Disadvantaged Students, and a member of the Committee on Teaching. From 1992 to 2000, he chaired the steering committee of Minority Undergraduate Research Participation in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences. At the statewide level, he chaired the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools of the UC system, and was a member of the UC Academic Council and a member of the Assembly of the Academic Senate. Alder was the first national president of Mu Alpha Theta, the National High School and Junior College Mathematics Club, from 1956 to 1959 and received its International Distinguished Service Award in 1965. He also received a Certificate of Merit from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 1975. He was the national secretary of the Mathematical Association of America from 1960 to 1975 and its national president between 1977 and 1978. He received its Award for Distinguished Service to Mathematics in 1980, the most prestigious award conferred by the organization. He also received the association's Lester R. Ford Award for Expository Writing in 1970. He served on many of its committees, including chairman of its Committee on Awards for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics from 1992 to 1999. Alder also served as chairman of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents in 1980 and was a member of the international bodies. In 1981 he served as chairman of the Commission on the International Mathematical Olympiad. In 1982, he was appointed a member of the state Board of Education by Gov. Jerry Brown, the first mathematician and first UC faculty member to be appointed to that board. He served on many of the committees appointed by the board including in 1996 and 1997 the California Mathematics Framework Committee for grades K-12. He served numerous professional mathematical journals as editor, member of its governing board and in other capacities. He was particularly active with the Pacific Journal of Mathematics, where he served as a member of its Board of Governors from 1960 to the present, as vice chairman of the board from 1960 to 1995 and as chair of its Investment Committee from 1970 to the present. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, the former Benne Bernice Daniel; his son Dr. Lawrence J. Alder and his wife Janice T. of Mountain View; two granddaughters, Allison and Catherine Alder; two brothers, Dr. Berni J. Alder of El Cerrito and Dr. Charles K. Alder of Danville; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. A viewing will be held Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Davis Funeral Chapel. A memorial service will be announced later. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Henry L. Alder Graduate Fellowship on Mathematics Fund, c/o U.C. Davis Foundation, University of California, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616. Additional Comments: Submitted with the permission of the "The Davis Enterprise," 315 G Street, Davis, CA 95616. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/yolo/obits/gob795alder.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/caobfiles/ File size: 5.1 Kb