Obituary of George Handelman

HANDELMAN George H. Handelman, 87, of Troy, N.Y., died Saturday, September 13, 2008 at Albany Medical Center. Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., he was the son of the late Morris and Sophia P. Handelman. A summa cum laude graduate of Harvard University, class of 1941, he also received his master's degree from Harvard and his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1946. He was a noted mathematician, university professor and administrator. George began his career as a research associate in applied mathematics at Brown University before moving to Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon University) in 1948. In 1955, he was recruited to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, where he rose from professor of applied mathematics to chairman of the mathematics department and the Eliza Ricketts professor. He subsequently became dean of the School of Science and Amos Eaton professor, before retiring as Amos Eaton professor emeritus. His publications included more than 60 articles on such diverse topics as stability of structures, acoustic and elastic wave propagations, vibrations of structures, and mathematical models in biology. Besides his regular contribution to scholarly journals, he also influenced a broader audience. His article with Prof. Jane Koretz, "How the Human Eye Focuses," appeared as a cover article for Scientific American. He coauthored an advanced college textbook that has gone through several editions. Above all, George defined himself as a teacher, and conveyed his enthusiasm and expertise at all levels of college classes, from beginning calculus lectures to upper level applied mathematical seminars. In addition to his many undergraduate students, he mentored numerous Ph.D. students who went on to become leading mathematicians at universities throughout the country. In recognition of his influence on students, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute awarded him the William H. Wiley Distinguished Faculty Award and the David M. Darrin Counseling Award. George made additional contributions to higher education and mathematical research as a member of numerous professional societies and state and national committees. He was a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, the American Mathematical Society, as well as other academic organizations. At RPI, he was instrumental in bringing the first computer to the campus, housed in the Amos Eaton Building. He also secured a Center of Excellence Award and an Einstein Professorship for the mathematics department. In addition to his professional interests, George was an active member of the community, serving on boards and committees for the Friends of Chamber Music, Congregation Berith Sholom, the Troy Library Foundation, and Albany Medical Center. In his retirement, he was an avid student of Yiddish, regularly attended classical music concerts, enjoyed traveling and tending his roses. He was a devoted dog lover. George is survived by his wife of 59 years, Marcia M. Handelman; two daughters, Nancy Handelman of Oakland, Calif. and Louise Handelman of Princeton, N.J.; a son-in-law, Alexander Smits of Princeton; and two grandsons, Peter and James, of whom he was particularly proud and always eager to hear of their college experiences and accomplishments. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. at the RPI Chapel and Cultural Center, 2125 Burdett Avenue, Troy. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Temple Berith Sholom, 167 Third Street, Troy, NY 12180, WAMC Public Radio Station, 318 Central Avenue, Albany, NY 12206, or NEADS Assistance Dog Program, P.O. Box 213, West Boylston, MA 01583.