Frederick-Matsen-Obituary

Frederick Matsen

Austin, Texas

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Austin, Texas

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F.A. Matsen II Frederick Albert (Al) Matsen, Professor Emeritus of Chemsitry and Physics at the University of Texas at Austin, died on May 30, 2006. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 68 years, Cecelia Kirkegaard Matsen in January of this year. He is survived by two children,...

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Professor Matsen was a most profound influence on me when I enrolled in his Mathematical Introduction into the Theories of Matter course my freshman year at Texas. It was hardcore and that the first semester was all mathematics and then the second semester was all applications to the theories of quantum electro dynamics. It was much more fascinating than regular freshman chemistry. He instilled a rigor and standard of discipline necessary for scientific inquiry. He was always accessible...

I took the Theories Of Matter course described here in 1984-85 and absolutely loved it. As a physics major, it resonated with me. It also set the stage for an understanding of the matrix approach to QM that was unmatched among my peers. Dr Matsen was a jingle and generous teacher, always making time to ensure that we had complete understanding of the theory. I can´t thank him enough for that fabulous freshman year of "graduate-level quantum chemistry."

I have many memories, not from the classroom, but from Caswell Tennis Center where I had the privilege to play with and learn from this true gentleman of the court.