1972 – J.C. Eaves
In 1972 the C. C. MacDuffee Award for Distinguished Service was awarded to Dr. J. C. Eaves at the Pi Mu Epsilon National Meeting in Hanover, New Hampshire. All of you know Dr. Eaves as the President of Pi Mu Epsilon (1966-1972). Adding Dr. Eaves to an organization is like adding yeast to a mixture. Either introduces life, promotes growth, and produces a final product with superior zest. Dr. Eaves has worked diligently and imaginatively in “promoting scholarship and mathematics” as our motto says. The number of Pi Mu Epsilon chapters grew from 118 in 1966 to 175 in 1972 under his energetic guidance. Most of these 57 additional chapters were personally installed by Dr. Eaves — who can relate some interesting stories concerning travel to and from various colleges and universities.
Dr. Eaves is an excellent speaker, an inspiring leader and a congenial companion in addition to being a devoted mathematician. He promotes mathematics whenever the opportunity arises, and serves the needs of mathematics at all levels — he has served as president of Mu Alpha Theta, the national high school and junior college club, which was started in 1957 with the help of Pi Mu Epsilon. He has served as chairman of a large active university graduate program in mathematics. He has served as President of the most prestigious and active honor society in America — Pi Mu Epsilon.
Dr. Eaves is always a welcome committee member on any project. If Dr. J. C. Eaves undertakes a job, you can be sure it will be done with a flourish, and that those who are associated with the project will enjoy and appreciate this sly humor as well as his uncanny ability to come up with feasible solutions rather than additional problems. Pi Mu epsilon is indeed fortunate to have been included among the many projects that have been more successful because the Eaves yeast was included. It is altogether fitting and proper that Dr. Eaves’s name be added to the list of illustrious recipients of Pi Mu Epsilon’s highest award.