Hank Krieger

Hank Krieger 1936–2022

'

Memories of Hank

« Return to obituary

Doug Hathaway '80 ’80

Student

My lasting memory of Prof Krieger is freshman year after Thanksgiving reak apologizing for not preparing us adequately for the exam he administered the day we left, then proceeded to solve all 5 problems on the board in about 5 minutes. We then were offered the opportunity to take a new test. His extraordinarily high expectations of his students set a bar that really took effort to clear. In that attribute, he was emblematic of what HMC meant to me. As an Engineering major, most of my interaction with him after that was associated with athletics, as he supported CMS sports of all types during the year. I greatly appreciated his enthusiasm and support. He will be missed.

Nandan Das ’98

Host Family

Prof. Krieger and his wife, Rita, were my host family when I arrived at the Claremont colleges as an international student. I arrived with pretty much nothing since the airlines had misplaced my suitcases. Prof. Krieger and Rita opened their homes and their hearts to me. My first morning in America, he made me a “PB&J” sandwich — and he told me that was a very classic American sandwich to have. They took me shopping to replace my missing clothes. It was an interesting start — but I will never forget his kindness and his generosity. I didn’t take a class with him, but he periodically advised me informally. I cherish his memory.

Greg Hassold ’79

Student

He was a gentle man, and a wonderful teacher.

John Sawka ’72

Student

It was in Prof Krieger’s Linear Algebra class in the spring of 1969 that I knew I wanted to be a mathematician. More than that, I wanted to be like Hank. Later Hank would help me to achieve that goal. Thank you. I will remember you always Professor.

Francis Su

Colleague and friend

The phrase that comes to mind when I think of Hank is generosity of spirit. Hank was sharp as a razor and yet always had a humbleness about him—the epitome of kindness. He knew a lot, was generous with his wisdom and his resources, and would always be willing to substitute teach when I needed a hand. That he had an equally rich influence as a legendary Claremont tennis coach is just remarkable. I’m grateful for Hank’s leadership, mentorship, and friendship.