Victor Hill IV

Victor E. Hill IV

Dr. Victor Ernst Hill IV, the Thomas T. Read Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus, at Williams College, died at Berkshire Medical Center on 23 July; he was 76.Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Victor graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), where he added a four year program of music theory and composition and two years of Dalcroze Eurythmics to his major in mathematics. Following graduate work at the University of Wisconsin, he received his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Oregon, where he was also awarded the first Performer's Certificate in Harpsichord to be granted by the University's School of Music. Mathematics and music remained constant companions and passions throughout his life. Victor was a member of the Williams faculty for over forty years, teaching courses in mathematics, mathematical logic, finance, computer science, and English literature. Well known for his "Mathematics of Finance" and Winter Studies courses on the writings of C. S. Lewis and Charles Williams, he also offered bi-annual trivia contests. An accomplished harpsichordist and organist, Victor took particular pride in having studied under the distinguished Dutch harpsichordist Gustav Leonhardt. In addition to founding the Griffin Hall Concert Series, Victor played more than 900 concerts throughout the U.S. and Europe, and gave multiple performances of the complete "Art of Fugue" by J.S. Bach. His lecture-recital "Mathematical Aspects of Bach," combined both passions; Victor presented this more than seventy times throughout the United States. For many years, Victor served as organist-choirmaster at St. John's Episcopal Church in Williamstown. From 1982 until 2011, Victor served as archivist for the Association of Anglican Musicians, an international organization of music professionals in the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Church of England. For nearly twenty years, he served as Archivist and as a member of the editorial board of the Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians, and from 1998 to 2010 was the Association's recordings reviewer. Victor's principal mathematical interests were group representation theory and the history of mathematics. He was the author of Groups, Representations, and Characters (Hafner/Macmillan 1975) and Groups and Characters (Chapman & Hall, 2000); in addition to scholarly articles on both mathematics and music. As a faculty member, he was admired for his teaching, and was very active in his fields of study, belonging to numerous groups and associations in mathematics, Christian faith & fellowship, and music. When not on campus or performing, Victor cherished his time as an associate of the Society of St Margaret, and loved swimming and canoeing at his summer home. Surviving are a daughter, Victoria (Hugh) Resnick; a son, Christopher Hill; and two granddaughters. FUNERAL NOTICE: Memorial services will be conducted on the 13th of August at twelve o'clock at All Saints' Episcopal Church, North Adams, Massachusetts. Friends and family are cordially invited to a reception afterward. Memorial donations may be made to the Society of St Margaret (50 Harden Hill Road, P.O. Box C, Duxbury, MA 02331-0605), or to the Association of Anglican Musicians (http://anglicanmusicians.org). To add to the Book of Memories, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com