[HOME] Math Department (History)

Recent Years: 1975 - 1990

In 1975, Seiken recruited two young set theorists, Alan Taylor and William Zwicker. Their mathematical ability and energy became quickly apparent. For example, they began, immediately upon their arrival, the biennial Union College Set Theory Conference. This conference continues to the present, although the name has gone through several changes which have reflected the specialties of various persons added to the department; it is unique among small, essentially undergraduate colleges. International mathematical luminaries - among others, Paul Erdös, Saunders MacLane, and Stanislaw Ulam - have spoken at the conference (MacLane also received an honorary degree from the College in 1990).

By 1979, Seiken had served as chairman for eleven years, and although there was no dissatisfaction in the department with his performance, he decided to relinquish that post. William Fairchild, who had come to Union in 1970, succeeded to the chair, and at about that time, the College began the policy of having department chairs rotate among the tenured faculty, the usual period being three years. In 1981, Susan Niefield and Karl Zimmermann joined the department, and, following the example of Taylor and Zwicker, quickly demonstrated that excellence in either research or teaching does not imply neglect of the other.

Bick followed Fairchild as chairman in 1982; that same year, Julius Barbanel and Kimmo Rosenthal, who had previously served as temporary Assistant Professors, returned in tenure track positions. By this time, the critical mass of active young mathematicians and the existence of the conference had put Union on the mathematical map, with the result that the mathematical as well as the pedagogical expectations in the department had become very high. Student evaluations and research outputs which had previously been regarded as unusually high had now become the norm. Yet all six, Taylor, Zwicker, Niefield, Zimmermann, Barbanel and Rosenthal made it successfully through the tenure process. Bick's three year term as chairman ended in 1985; he was succeeded by Taylor. In 1987, the College acquired the services of Michael Frame, who brought a high level of computer expertise to the department, along with a driving energy which impressed even the dedicated group already in place. Frame had an immediate and powerful impact on the department; he was also instrumental in persuading the College to place a personal computer on the desk of everyone in the department. Frame quickly advanced through the tenurability process; Taylor was succeeded as chairman in 1988 by Zwicker, who went on leave in 1989, Taylor serving as acting chair for 1989-90. Zwicker reassumed the chair in 1990.

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Created: 06 Mar 1997
Last modified: 09 Oct 1999 00:00:00
Comments to: math@union.edu