In memoriam: David Fox

David Fox, retired professor of computer science and engineering and former department head, died Aug. 23. He was 77.

Fox received a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1951 and a master of science in engineering and mechanics in 1952 from the University of Michigan. He earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Maryland in 1958.

He worked at Johns Hopkins University as a mathematician and professor and as head and principal professional staff of the Research Group in Applied Mathematics. He also was director of Mathematical and Informational Sciences at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research before coming to the University of Minnesota in 1985.

He was awarded a Washington Academy of Sciences Achievement Award in Mathematics in 1964 and was awarded the Parsons Professorship at Johns Hopkins University in 1976.

At the University of Minnesota, Fox was head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering from 1985-1990. He served on many committees and taught a variety of courses. He pioneered the method of intermediate eigenvalue problems for linear operations of Hilbert spaces.

In addition to his academic work, he was an energetic recruiter and facilitated the department's rapid growth. He retired in 1999 to pursue other interests, including his hobby of flying.

Fox is survived by his wife, Lily, and two sons.