Howard Swann Obituary

Howard Swann
Pacific Grove, CA
Howard Story Gray Swann passed from this life in May, 2015. Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, San Jose State University, Howard thrived on the energy of his students throughout his teaching career. The collaborative energy of Howard, his co-author artist John Johnson, and Howard's students in many calculus classes over many years, created the still popular Professor E. Mc Squared's Calculus Primer. Howard was also a musician, and cyclist. His spirit lives on in the many vibrant memories all who loved him hold in their hearts.
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Published by Santa Cruz Sentinel on Jun. 7, 2015.

Memories and Condolences
for Howard Swann

Sponsored by santacruzsentinel.com.

5 Entries

Brian Horblit

October 28, 2025

I am so sorry to hear of Prof. Swann's passing. I was a student of his in the mid '80s at San Jose State. He was the kindest, friendliest, funniest prof I had ever met. He made math fun! I am so glad our paths intersected. RIP, Prof. Swann. I hoped you cycled many fun and exciting miles in your retirement.

Mitchell Tyler

November 24, 2020

Prof. Swann was a truly unique teacher and mathematics enthusiast. I took his Calc. I and II courses in 1976. The self-published book he used to support his instruction, "Prof. E. McSquared's Calculus Primer (Expanded Intergalactic Version)" was a brilliant, entertaining, whimsical, and essential resource. It made learning the fundamental principles of differential and integral calculus so obvious and easy to comprehend, and entertaining that I was actually having FUN! I even looked forward to attending his classes. I have shared this story with others who are mystified that math could ever be easy or ... fun. Prof. Swann helped build the foundation of my engineering and teaching career, and for that I am thankful to have had him as my instructor. I hope he knew how many students he touched with his enthusiasm and facility in teaching complex concepts in such an accessible way. I have tried, in my own way, to pass those lessons forward to my students.

January 20, 2020

So sorry to learn that Howard is gone. He was one of the greatest teachers I've ever known, and a sterling human being.
My first memory of Howard is working alongside him for San Jose State's arena registration in fall 1975. I think most of the professors considered that process a form of drudgery, but Howard greeted each student with enthusiasm, booming out "Hi-de-ho!" in his unforgettable voice.
That same semester, I had the good fortune to take Howard's class on Theory of Automata. We learned a great deal about Moore machines and regular expressions and other wonderful stuff, and had lots of fun too. It was always fun with Howard even when we had to prove theorems at the board. We might have gotten a little carried away once or twice, because I remember him remarking "This class is incorrigible!", but he had a twinkle in his eye.
Years later, Howard was a guest at my wedding. One of our favorite pictures from that day shows Howard standing before the front table, no doubt telling some droll story and obviously having a great time. I can't remember what he was saying, but everyone was in stitches.
Deepest condolences to Howard's family on the loss of this funny, kind, dear man. I apologize for being five years late!

Charles Lane

April 6, 2018

Howard and I were at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from 1961-63, He was in the mathematics department and I was in chemistry. We returned home at the same time. We were both at Berkeley in 1963 where I was an assistant professor and he was a graduate student in mathematics. He drove his VW across the country with Grace and James Adicie. When Howard stopped at a stoplight in the middle of the night in Iowa the Adichies could not believe he would stop when there was no traffic. Their daughter Chimamanda wrote Half of a Yellow Sun, a book about the Biafran war which the Adichies survived. Howard lived in the Berkeley hills and I remember spending an evening with him on his deck looking out at the bay area. Howard was always fun to be with and had a great sense of humor. I am so sorry I did not contact him before he died.

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Eric Hilf

December 11, 2015

Great teacher, advisor, human being. Always friendly, upbeat, helpful. Sad to hear of his passing. RIP Dr Swann -- hope you enjoyed your retirement and final years.

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