In Memorial, Dr. Kenneth I. Appel of Dover
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For Immediate Release May 8, 2013 CONTACT: Mario Piscatella (603) 2713664 [email protected] Dedication Memorializing Dr. Kenneth I. Appel of Dover CONCORD At the start of today’s session, the House Clerk Karen Wadsworth read a declaration from Speaker Terie Norelli memorializing the life of Dr. Kenneth I. Appel of Dover. Dr. Appel was a pioneer in the field of mathematics and served as chair of the Mathematics Department at the University of New Hampshire. Dr. Appel’s wife Carole was present in the gallery and met with the Speaker and Representatives Marjorie Smith, Judith Spang and Deanna Rollo following the declaration. Speaker Terie Norelli’s statement on the declaration: “As a graduate of the UNH Mathematics department, I know that Dr. Appel’s work and the passion he shared with his students inspired so many to reach further and explore careers in mathematics and education.” The entire text of the declaration can be found below. MEMORIALIZING Dr. Kenneth I. Appel October 8, 1932 – April 19, 2013 WHEREAS, it is with great reverence that the New Hampshire House of Representatives honors the life of Dr. Kenneth I. Appel of Dover; and WHEREAS, Kenneth Appel, born in Brooklyn, New York, had a long and distinguished career as a worldrenowned mathematician, in addition to being a beloved professor, Army veteran, community volunteer, and wonderful family man; and WHEREAS, Kenneth Appel, having earned a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Michigan in 1959, later became a math professor at the University of Illinois in Urbana; and WHEREAS, in 1976, Dr. Appel collaborated with Dr. Wolfgang Haken to prove the longheld “four color” mathematical theorem that four colors are enough to fill in any map without any two regions of the same color touching; and WHEREAS, this historical feat was accomplished by logging 1,200 hours on the University’s IBM 370168 computer, forever changing the field of mathematics and resulting in Dr. Appel and Dr. Haken being awarded the Delbert Ray Fulkerson prize by the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Programming Society in 1979; and WHEREAS, New Hampshire is privileged that Dr. Appel later moved to New Hampshire where he chaired the UNH Mathematics Department, retiring as Professor Emeritus in 2003; now therefore be it DECLARED, that the New Hampshire House of Representatives, by virtue of the Speaker’s signature inscribed below, extends its prayers and heartfelt sympathy to Dr. Appel’s wife Carole, his loving family, his former students and colleagues, and his multitude of friends. Terie Norelli, Speaker of the House Offered by the New Hampshire House of Representatives this 8th day of May, 2013. # # #.