Chandler Davis

Born in New York City in 1926, Chandler Davis became known as both a distinguished mathematician and a courageous defender of civil liberties. He studied at Harvard and taught at the University of Michigan, where his refusal to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s led to a contempt citation, jail time, and the loss of his position.

After leaving the United States, he built much of his academic career in Canada, especially at the University of Toronto. His mathematical work ranged across algebra and related fields, and he was also an editor, essayist, poet, and science fiction writer, bringing unusual range to everything he did.

Davis died in 2022 at the age of 96. He is remembered not only for his scholarship, but also for the steadiness of his convictions and the warmth and curiosity that shaped his long career.