Lee Lorch, activist and former math professor, has died

Lee Lorch, a professor in the CCNY Mathematics Department from 1946-1949, died at age 98 on February 28th, 2014. While in New York, Prof. Lorch fought for the desegregation of Stuyvesant Town contributing to a campaign agains housing segregation which eventually lead to the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Lee Lorch was also a distinguished mathematican working in real analysis. He was a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. He received an Honorary Degree from CUNY in 1990, which recognized his both his scholarly contributions and contributions to civil rights.

The New York Times has published an obituary for Lee Lorch. The Times says the following about his experience at City College:

Despite the backing of a majority of colleagues in his department, the appointments committee at City College blocked his promotion, effectively forcing him to leave.

Mr. Lorch was “unquestionably a fine scholar and a promising teacher,” an alumni committee later concluded, but some colleagues “regarded him, rightly or wrongly, as an irritant and a potential troublemaker.” Mr. Lorch himself charged that the college “protects bigots and fires those who fight bigotry.”

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