Howard Story Gray Swann

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 loved early music, the music of the Baroque era and earlier. He sang choral music throughout much of his adult life, last singing with the Antiquarian Funks in Santa Cruz. The highlight concert of those years for Howard was 100 Years of Chicken Music.

Howard fell in love with chickens in Nigeria. A member of one of the earliest Peace Corps groups, Nigeria 2, Howard taught mathematics at the newly formed University of Nigeria in Nsukka. In addition to teaching, Howard embraced the project of his fellow Peace Corps friend, Ross Blount, to introduce “poultry raising on a commercial basis” to unemployed young men. The Young Farmer’s clubs were delightedly designated ‘reverse colonialism’ as the young men built chicken houses from local materials and raised Rhode Island Reds for the production of fresh eggs to sell to all the USAID employees in Nigeria at that time.

Howard began cycling seriously in his retirement years riding with the Santa Cruz Cycling Club, participating in metric century rides and touring both in California and abroad.

Howard also loved camping and hiking. One of his graduate school summers was spent hiking and camping in the Tetons in Wyoming and he enjoyed many backpacking trips in the High Sierra as well as the Tetons.

In the mid-60’s Howard looked up a long lost cousin, Loring Woodman, who had recently bought an isolated dude ranch in the Gros Ventre Mountains of northwestern Wyoming, the Darwin Ranch. They became close friends and Howard spent many summers at The Ranch. He was known for leading trail rides along virtually non-existent game trails to improbable places. He became a favorite of the crew the summer he brought to the ranch canvas wall tents with screened doors and windows on custom built platforms. Staff housing in the mosquito rich valley along the Gros Ventre River had previously been in romantic, but impractical, tepees.

Howard’s spirit lives on in the many vibrant memories all who loved him hold in their hearts.

Howard’s friends will gather in Pacific Grove to celebrate his birthday in August with wine and music.