Professor Emeritus of mathematics William Slesnick died in Hanover on Nov. 25 after a long illness. He was 72.
Mathematics Department Chair James Baumgartner said Slesnick will be remembered most fondly by his students.
"He was regarded by a lot of people as the best teacher they ever had," Baumgartner said.
Baumgartner said the first class he sat in on at the College was a 1969 math class taught by Slesnick. "I learned things by watching him that I could not learn in any other way," he said.
Slesnick's reputation for getting to know his students is widespread, according to Baumgartner, and the stories about his learning all of his students' names are "truer than anyone would believe."
Slesnick was a member of the Dartmouth faculty for 32 years before retiring in 1994. During his years at the College, he chaired the graduate fellowships committees and the freshman year committees. He also served on several other committees, including the administration committee and the Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid.
Slesnick graduated from Classen High School in Oklahoma City at age 16 and enrolled in the University of Oklahoma. When World War II began, he gained an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1945.
Following his naval service, Slesnick became a scholar. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1948. For the next two years, he studied at Arrow committee, the National Jewish Committee on Scouting and the International Committee.
Slesnick chaired the New Hampshire Daniel Webster Council, which oversees scouting throughout the state. He was a member of the executive board of the State Boy Scout Council and was a member of three national Boy Scout committees.
Slesnick was a member of the National Council of Mathematics Teachers and the Mathematical Association of America, and directed the New Hampshire section of the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in New England. He also served as a trustee of the New Hampton School and was a member of the New Hampshire selection committee for the Rhodes Scholarship.
An open memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 at Rollins Chapel. Slesnick is survived by his sister and by two nephews.
