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Remembering Dr. John Nash

The WVU Tech community is saddened to hear of the passing of John and Alicia Nash.

Dr. John Forbes Nash, Jr., a Nobel laureate and one of the 20th century’s greatest mathematical minds, was a West Virginia native and a man of staggering mathematical genius.

Nash’s work in game theory – the mathematical study of decision making – impacted scholarship on everything from political science and foreign affairs to biology and psychology. In his lifetime, Nash also endured a heartbreaking, decades-long struggle with mental illness. His story served as the inspiration for the Oscar-winning film “A Beautiful Mind.”

In 2006, WVU Tech had the distinct honor of welcoming Dr. Nash to the institution’s 107th Commencement Ceremony, where he was recognized for his scientific contributions and awarded an honorary doctorate alongside noted architect Henry Elden and historian Ronald Alexander.

WVU Tech joins the scientific community in mourning the loss of this truly beautiful mind.

For more about Nash, listen to Still a Beautiful Mind – and an Inspiring West Virginian from West Virginia Public Broadcasting. You can read local coverage of Nash’s life at The Charleston GazetteTimes West VirginianWest Virginia Metro News and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.