William McGowen Priestley *72
Raised in Rosedale, Miss., Mac died in Winchester, Tenn., June 22, 2022, at age 81.
Mac graduated from The University of the South (Sewanee) in 1962 and earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from Princeton in 1972. He returned to Sewanee, where he taught mathematics for 44 years.
An avid reader, writer, and conversationalist who found wisdom and beauty in words and numbers, Mac believed in the intrinsic good of an educated and curious life. He was a dedicated and principled teacher, intent on sharing the joy of mathematics with all his students, many of whom later became mathematicians.
Mac was determined to make calculus accessible, relatable, and intriguing, likening mathematical analysis to poetry, music, and other expressions of the human spirit. He published a textbook, Calculus: An Historical Approach, and a second edition, Calculus: A Liberal Art, to present mathematics as a bridge between the sciences and humanities. In 2006, he received the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Southeastern Section of the Mathematics Association of America.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary Patten Priestley; and his children, Bill, Thomas, and Patten Priestley Mahler. He was “Grandmac” to grandchildren Will, Julianna, Lily, and Lyell.
Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.
Paw in print
October 2025
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott ’92; President Eisgruber ’83 defends higher ed; Julia Ioffe ’05 explains Russia.
1 Response
Comments
Tim Butts *72
2 Years AgoRemembering Mac Priestley *72
The March issue included a memorial to William McGowen (Mac) Priestley *72, who received his doctorate in mathematics, and was a friend of mine, living next door to me at the New Graduate College the year we both started at Princeton. His memorial missed the fact that I used to hear Mac often playing Puccini opera recordings, and I, as a chemical engineer, not knowing much about music, got hooked. Not kidding, it made me a different person. I subscribed to the opera in New York, moved there, met my wife, and engaged in opera-related activities for the next five decades. I say honestly and thankfully that Mac was one of the few people who really changed my life.