Professor of math, computer science, and statistics Terry “T.J.” Morrison died on Thursday, October 8. Morrison, who was often called T.J. by students, was 68 and had taught at Gustavus since 1978. He passed away at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. A memorial service was held on Thursday, October 15 at Christ Chapel.
Morrison was teaching at Gustavus as of Spring 2015 before his brief battle with cancer that prevented him from teaching this fall.
“In spring he was feeling pretty poorly. He thought he had pneumonia and he found out over the summer that he actually had cancer. He kept getting weaker; at first when he found out he had cancer he was kind of hoping he could beat it and be teaching right now but it didn’t work out that way obviously” Professor of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics Ron Reitz said.
Morrison’s friends and colleagues remarked on his commitment to being a great educator.
“He was somebody who thought deeply about lots of things, but he thought really hard about being a really good teacher. That meant a lot to him and he has supported everybody else in the department when they wanted to try something new. It may not have even been something he would be interested in doing in the classroom but he was interested in supporting people in trying things that would make them become better teachers” said Professor of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Statistics Tom LoFaro.
“Very understanding, extremely patient with his students and with his friends for that matter, and a great listener” said Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science and Statisitcs Jeff Rosoff, who retired after the Spring 2015 Semester.
“He was somebody who thought deeply about lots of things, but he thought really hard about being a really good teacher.”
—Tom LoFaro
Gustavus President Rebecca Bergman wrote in an email to the Gustavus community: “Described by colleagues as “the rock of the MCS department” and “extremely supportive of his students,” Terry was known for his ability to unite his passion for theory with the skill set necessary to teach complex concepts to generations of Gustavus students.”
“Terry could have done many occupations very well but he was born to be a professor” said Reitz.
Morrison was born on July 22, 1947 in Eugene, Oregon. His parents are Earl E. and Lois B. (Morgan) Morrison. He has two living brothers, Kim and Dale. He was preceded in death by his father but his mother is still living.
Morrison’s other living family members include his wife Kathleen (married for 45 years), his daughters Cheri Watts and Gedam Azeze, his grandchildren, Alexander Watts, Emenet Sime and Marcos Sime;., as well as nieces, nephews and extended family.
Morrison’s schooling comprises of the University of Oregon, Southern Oregon College and the University of Florida. He went on to receive his Ph.d. in Mathematics at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.
Morrison received the Swenson-Bunn Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence by his 1998. He wrote Functional Analysis: An Introduction to Banach Space Theory, which was published in 2001.
“Very understanding, extremely patient with his students and with his friends for that matter, and a great listener.”
—Jeff Rosoff
He taught at the University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and has traveled throughout Europe and Africa. He was active in A. A. U. P., the American Association of University Professors.
Morrison was also a semiprofessional baseball pitcher in his younger years. He was a member of the Red Men Club in St. Peter. Morrison’s peers spoke of his wide-ranging set of talents and interests has received praise for his skills in needlework, golf, tennis, as well as his dedication to reading, sports, art and mathematics . Since spring of 1999, Morrison has taught 17 different classes. He taught The Nature of Math 25 times in that period.