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Horace Mochizuki died on June 9, 1989, after a short illness. He was born in California on May 18, 1937. During World War II, he and his family were interned along with other United States citizens of Japanese ancestry. After the war the family lived briefly in New York City before moving back to California.
Horace grew up on a farm near Madera. While in high school he was a student of violin at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. Horace received a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Redlands, and a Ph.D. in 1963 from the University of Washington. After teaching at Berkeley for two years, Horace came to Santa Barbara in 1965 to begin a distinguished career.
His early work on the Burnside Problem in group theory led to special recognition. He received a special award from the National Science Foundation, usually reserved for senior scholars, for "projects of high scientific merit involving scientists with a record of outstanding research accomplishments..." He was still an Assistant Professor at the time and this was just the first of Horace's many outstanding achievements. Two others that we mention are: a solution of one of the problems in a list of 16 famous open problems from the theory of groups, compiled in 1972 by the Hungarian mathematician J. Pelikan; and Horace's 1978 publication of the non-commutative version of "Kolchin's Theorem" which solved a famous problem of Kaplansky. But it was his work on automorphism groups, started in 1978 and continued until his tragic illness, that many regard as his crowning and most important mathematical achievement. At the international group theory conference held in St. Andrews, Scotland in 1985, Horace was invited to write a special paper on this work for the proceedings, while his co-author was asked to give a series of lectures explaining it.
Through the years Horace was invited to lecture on his research in numerous international conferences such as those in Canberra, Australia; Crete, Greece; Pusan, Korea; Singapore; and Novosibirsk, U.S.S.R. He was invited to deliver a major address at the 1989 Groups-St. Andrews conference when his illness was discovered in March. A memorial lecture was given in his honor and a survey of his research will be published in the proceedings of that conference. In addition, a memorial volume of papers by friends and colleagues throughout the world is currently in the planning stage.
Horace was one of the most unselfish and valued members of the Mathematics Department at Santa Barbara. He was recently vice chair of the department, an extremely time consuming task, for a four-year period. The junior faculty especially appreciated Horace's advice and encouragement. He was also an excellent teacher who gave very generously of his time to students. Horace loved teaching and doing mathematical research and felt fortunate to be able to do these things.
Horace was devoted to his garden, which became a vivid expression of his love of beauty. He also enjoyed athletic activities such as mountain hiking and swimming. In Santa Barbara he took up running and enjoyed competing in marathons and other long-distance races.
Horace's family received unlimited devotion and gave in return unlimited joy. He is survived by his daughters Emilia, aged 20, and Selina, aged 10, by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Edward Mochizuki, and by his sister and brother-in-law Dr. and Mrs. Jack Ucci.
His friends and colleagues cherish Horace for his warmth and humanity. His inner strength formed the basis of his extraordinary personal integrity. He asked total honesty of himself and of his students, his colleagues, and others. He treated others with the same respect and consideration that he desired for himself. The faithfulness of his friendship leaves an enduring legacy in the lives of those who knew him. The loss to all who knew him is indescribable.
Kenneth Millett
James Robertson
Horace grew up on a farm near Madera. While in high school he was a student of violin at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. Horace received a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Redlands, and a Ph.D. in 1963 from the University of Washington. After teaching at Berkeley for two years, Horace came to Santa Barbara in 1965 to begin a distinguished career.
His early work on the Burnside Problem in group theory led to special recognition. He received a special award from the National Science Foundation, usually reserved for senior scholars, for "projects of high scientific merit involving scientists with a record of outstanding research accomplishments..." He was still an Assistant Professor at the time and this was just the first of Horace's many outstanding achievements. Two others that we mention are: a solution of one of the problems in a list of 16 famous open problems from the theory of groups, compiled in 1972 by the Hungarian mathematician J. Pelikan; and Horace's 1978 publication of the non-commutative version of "Kolchin's Theorem" which solved a famous problem of Kaplansky. But it was his work on automorphism groups, started in 1978 and continued until his tragic illness, that many regard as his crowning and most important mathematical achievement. At the international group theory conference held in St. Andrews, Scotland in 1985, Horace was invited to write a special paper on this work for the proceedings, while his co-author was asked to give a series of lectures explaining it.
Through the years Horace was invited to lecture on his research in numerous international conferences such as those in Canberra, Australia; Crete, Greece; Pusan, Korea; Singapore; and Novosibirsk, U.S.S.R. He was invited to deliver a major address at the 1989 Groups-St. Andrews conference when his illness was discovered in March. A memorial lecture was given in his honor and a survey of his research will be published in the proceedings of that conference. In addition, a memorial volume of papers by friends and colleagues throughout the world is currently in the planning stage.
Horace was one of the most unselfish and valued members of the Mathematics Department at Santa Barbara. He was recently vice chair of the department, an extremely time consuming task, for a four-year period. The junior faculty especially appreciated Horace's advice and encouragement. He was also an excellent teacher who gave very generously of his time to students. Horace loved teaching and doing mathematical research and felt fortunate to be able to do these things.
Horace was devoted to his garden, which became a vivid expression of his love of beauty. He also enjoyed athletic activities such as mountain hiking and swimming. In Santa Barbara he took up running and enjoyed competing in marathons and other long-distance races.
Horace's family received unlimited devotion and gave in return unlimited joy. He is survived by his daughters Emilia, aged 20, and Selina, aged 10, by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Edward Mochizuki, and by his sister and brother-in-law Dr. and Mrs. Jack Ucci.
His friends and colleagues cherish Horace for his warmth and humanity. His inner strength formed the basis of his extraordinary personal integrity. He asked total honesty of himself and of his students, his colleagues, and others. He treated others with the same respect and consideration that he desired for himself. The faithfulness of his friendship leaves an enduring legacy in the lives of those who knew him. The loss to all who knew him is indescribable.
Lovely garden shrub
Floating leaf in winter pond
Friend, colleague, teacher
Seymour Bachmuth
Floating leaf in winter pond
Friend, colleague, teacher
Kenneth Millett
James Robertson
This University of California obituary is available at THIS LINK