Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1909

December 25, 1881 - March 3, 1969

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Thomas Buck was born on December 25, 1881, in Orland, Maine, the son of H. H. and Alice M. Buck. Upon recognition of his ability in mathematics during his early school years, he was encouraged to seek admission to the University of Maine. Accordingly, he wrote to the President of the University and in due time received notice of his admission. He was then fifteen years of age. He received the B.S. degree from the University of Maine at the age of nineteen in 1901 and then from 1902 to 1906 taught there as Instructor in Mathematics. Buck then undertook graduate studies in mathematics and astronomy at the University of Chicago. He carried on research for his doctoral dissertation under the guidance of the distinguished mathematical astronomer, Professor F. R. Moulton. Buck's thesis, Oscillating Satellites near the Lagrangian Equilateral Points Periodic Solutions, was published by the Carnegie Institute of Washington. Upon receiving his doctoral degree from the University of Chicago, 1909, Buck served as Instructor of Mathematics, University of Illinois, 1909-1911, and then came to Berkeley.

Dr. Buck was appointed Instructor in Mathematics, University of California, in 1911, and in 1931 he attained the rank of Professor of Mathematics. The one interruption in his service occurred while he was on war leave from August 8, 1918, to January 1, 1919. Mathematicians participated in the war effort during World War I by undertaking calculations, such as were required to develop new range tables adequate for the use of newly introduced high-velocity shells. Buck was commissioned First Lieutenant in the United States Army and went on a mission to Europe in the performance of mathematical tasks. He enjoyed sabbatical leaves in 1920-21, 1924-25, 1934-35, 1947-48, and retired as Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, July 1, 1952.

In view of the circumstance that his dissertation had been on mathematical astronomy, it was fitting that he should be called upon to teach those branches of mathematics which are of interest to students of astronomy, physics, and engineering. For many years he gave an upper division course in differential equations, Fourier series, hyperbolic functions, and complex numbers, required in the College of Engineering. On the graduate level, his courses in Special Analytic Functions and Partial Differential Equations were attended with great appreciation by graduate students who needed skill in higher mathematics for their theoretical research. One of the members of this Committee can testify from first person experience that Professor Buck was a superb teacher. He was an ideal teacher for students of the physical sciences.