Hank Krieger

Hank Krieger 1936–2022

Hank Krieger, beloved colleague and mentor, died June 29. During his 37 years at Harvey Mudd College, he had many leadership roles on campus, including chair of the Department of Mathematics and chair of the faculty. Within the math department, he was known for his kind, supportive and generous nature, and depth of knowledge across many fields of mathematics. He was a versatile problem solver who appreciated all areas of theoretical and applied mathematics.

Krieger was a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (B.A.E., 1957), earned a Fulbright Scholarship to University of Manchester, England, and received his PhD from Brown University (1964). He wrote his dissertation “Toeplitz Operators on Locally Compact Abelian Groups” under the supervision of Murray Rosenblatt. While serving on active duty as an officer in the Naval Reserve (1958–1961), he was a mathematics instructor in the Advanced Sciences Division of the U.S. Naval Nuclear Power School, U.S.N. Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut. In 1964, he became a Bateman Research Fellow then assistant professor of mathematics at California Institute of Technology before joining the Harvey Mudd College mathematics faculty in 1968. During his career, he also taught statistics at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

Krieger was an expert in probability theory and stochastic processes. He is the author of the college textbook Measure-Theoretic Probability. In addition to supervising countless Clinic projects and senior theses, Krieger mentored three PhD students—two during his time at Harvey Mudd College—through the Claremont Graduate University. Notably, Krieger’s mathematical grandfather was Mark Kac and great-great grandfather, David Hilbert.

Hank was also a legendary Claremont-Mudd-Scripps tennis coach. He was named to the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletic Hall of Fame for his 22 years of outstanding leadership in the men’s tennis program. The CMS men’s tennis coach from 1976–1999, he coached the first CMS team to win a national team championship in the NCAA Division III (1981). His SCIAC match record was 212–33, and his teams were ranked in the Top 15 nationally 20 times in 22 seasons. He was NCAA Division 3 Coach of the Year in 1985 and 1993, and he had an overall match record of 407 wins and 222 losses. He coached 24 All-Americans during his career, including four national champions in singles (including A.J. Shaka ’80) and three national championship doubles teams.

After retiring, Krieger continued contributing to the CMS tennis programs as a team consultant, historian and volunteer assistant coach while serving on a handful of community-based committees and boards. Among his volunteer activities was his service— including being president of the Board of Governors—with the Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys to help build community and enhance Jewish life. Through the Federation, he and his wife, Rita, learned about a group called the Sephardic Ashkenazi Friendship Committee, which runs humanitarian missions to benefit the Jews of Cuba. They spent several weeks there in 2003–2004, bringing clothing and medicine to the Jewish community, visiting Jewish families in Havana and in other parts of the country, and helping provide assistance to pensioners on fixed incomes.

In addition to his legacy of championships, the CMS athletic department instituted the Hank Krieger Award in 2000 following his retirement as the program’s head coach. The award is given each year to a graduating senior who exhibits athletic excellence, academic excellence, and leadership in athletics and campus life. At HMC, the Henry A. Krieger Prize in Decision Sciences is presented annually to rising seniors who show particular promise in probability, statistics or operations research. In 2005, Krieger received the HMC Honorary Alumni Award from the alumni association.

Krieger is survived by his wife, Rita, his daughter Elaine Greenwald (David), his son Jeffrey Krieger (Wendy), and his four grandchildren, Deborah Krieger, Louie Greenwald, Benjamin Krieger, and Hannah Greenwald. Tributes in his memory may be made to Claremont After-School Programs (CLASP).

Paul Kraght '81

Student

I remember his class on measure theory. There were only 6 students. He told us 50% of the grade would be homework, 25% midterm, and 25% final. He spent the first half of each class helping us with the difficulties we had with the homework. The time for midterm came and went, and finally just before the end of the semester, he said a final was unnecessary — he knew how each student was doing from the homework. I appreciated his detailed knowledge of each student.

Many years later, I was the liaison for a clinic, and Prof. Krieger was the advisor. When we took a tour of the lab, I told him this was new for me — I don’t go in the lab, I might break something. He said, “a true mathematician!” It was very rewarding to work again with him, though in a different role.

Finally, I found out that he was my brother’s tennis coach at the then-named Claremont Men’s College.

Steve Kremm '75

He was my advisor, prof, tennis coach and friend.

Freshman year 1972 I was #3 singles on the tennis team and Hank was assistant coach so we kind of grew up on the tennis team together. It used to break my heart to show up late to his 8AM Probability Theory class (or worse fall asleep in class) but I was just a dumb kid. Only with his help did I miraculously get an “A” in that class. Hank was by far my closest relationship on the faculty and he was instrumental in helping me build my confidence at Mudd.

My big memory is the road trip to Kansas City for the national tennis tournament in the team van with Hank and the team (driving straight through). He put up with a lot on from us and we loved him for it. RIP Hank!!!

Nick Firoozye '86

Former Student

Not a single memory but a great year of memories. Prof Krieger was the instructor of my two-person (with another HMC student) one year, graduate-level class in Measure Theory during my Sr year. While other profs were my early inspiration to becoming a mathematician, Prof Krieger was the first prof who taught us truly rigorous proof. He was always prepared, always enthusiastic. Now as a part-time prof, I see that this enthusiasm doesn’t come easily and I hope we two students helped to fuel is own passion (at least in what would have been very basic for him). I still have the book and in spite of textbook churn would never consider parting with it.

He always had time and was an exceptional mentor. I would list Prof Krieger together with Profs Coleman and Busenberg as the truly academically nurturing profs I encountered in math at HMC and one of the main reasons I am a mathematician today. Really the loss of a great and inspiring professor.

Dana Seaton '06

Former student

Prof. Krieger was such a light in my time at Harvey Mudd. I don’t remember who introduced us initially because I was joining the tennis team, but he made sure to check in on me often while I was there and offered kind and helpful advice. He was always so warm and friendly in the halls, in class, in his office, and at our matches. Such a kind soul and such a generous presence. He will be missed!

Michael Smithson '72

He supervised my senior thesis project.

Dr Krieger supervised my senior thesis project in 1972. He was a superb teacher and inspired me to continue my studies in probability and statistics even while I was completing a PhD in sociology. It is partly due to his influence that I became a decision scientist and continued research in statistics throughout my academic career.

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