Jan Hettich ’74

Jan was outstanding throughout his academic career. He loved mathematics, chess, and Japanese Go from an early age. He was valedictorian at Penncrest High School in Media, Pa. Jan first experienced computer languages in high school: He learned Fortran and developed a program to determine class rank.

At Princeton Jan immersed himself in mathematics and economics. He spent a summer as an intern in the French Senate, in a program developed by Professor André Maman. Jan’s fluency allowed him to thrive at the Free University of Brussels, which he attended on a Fulbright scholarship. He defended a thesis and qualified for a Certificat.

Jan worked in currency exchange for Citibank in New York, Toronto, Hong Kong, and London but missed the theoretical side of economics and returned to academia. He earned master’s degrees in economics and mathematics at UC Berkeley.

As the computer revolution was taking place, Jan acquired each new Windows release and became familiar with Apple systems. His focus shifted to computers; he became a certified Microsoft software developer. He loved the outdoors and playing cello.

Jan died Feb. 25, 2022. He is survived by a sister and cousins. He will be greatly missed.