Howard loved two things, music and mathematics; he was able to combine both disciplines for his entire life. Entering Princeton in 1945 as a viola player, he majored in mathematics, played in the University orchestra, and graduated with high honors. He was a member of Court Club and was its manager for two years.

After earning a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Stanford, and marrying Jean Henderson, Howard joined the mathematics faculty at the University of Illinois in 1956. He remained there until his retirement in 1993, having written more than 30 articles and several books, including one titled Vector Bundles and at least two more on algebraic topology. He received many research grants from the National Science Foundation and was a consultant for the Rand Corp. for 10 years.

Despite his academic brilliance, Howard never abandoned his musical life. He played in the Champaign-Urbana Symphony from 1960 until 1997, switching from viola to violin, and gave many recitals, both as a soloist and with several chamber music groups.

Howard died Aug. 21, 2019. He and Jean had four children, Mark, Steve, Adrienne, and Emily, all of whom survive. We offer our condolences to the entire family.

Class Year: 
Undergraduate Class of 1949