L. CARL BROWN, a professor emeritus of Near Eastern studies, died April 8 in Mitchellville, Maryland, at age 91. A member of the faculty from 1966 to 1993, Brown was a leader in North African studies. He served as chair of his department and director of the interdisciplinary Program in Near Eastern Studies. Brown wrote or edited more than a dozen books, including Religion and State: The Muslim Approach to Politics, published in 2000.
JOHN HORTON CONWAY, a professor known for his love of mathematical games and his ability to delve into a variety of theoretical topics, died April 11 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, from complications related to COVID-19. He was 82. Conway, who served on the mathematics faculty for 26 years, contributed significant research in fields ranging from theoretical physics to geometry. With Princeton colleague Simon Kochen, he developed a free-will theorem, published in Foundations of Physics in 2006. Conway’s “Game of Life,” a computer simulation that does not require input from the players, gained a cult following in the early 1970s.
CLAUDIO SPIES, a professor of music known for his work as a composer and scholar, died April 2 in Sonoma, California. He was 95. As a composer, Spies specialized in vocal scores. He taught courses on musical manuscripts, composition, conducting, performance, and musical analysis in his 28 years on the Princeton faculty. After transferring to emeritus status in 1998, he continued teaching at the Juilliard School. Spies also helped to bring the premiere of Igor Stravinsky’s last major composition, “Requiem Canticles,” to McCarter Theatre in 1966.