Rice University alumnus and professor emeritus Arthur Allen Few Jr. died Dec. 3, 2022, at his home in Gold Hill, Colorado, after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease and related medical issues. He was 83.
"I'm grateful for Arthur's contributions to the university, first as a doctoral student in space science and physics and then as a faculty member,” said Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and a professor of finance and economics. “Rice has a rich history in space exploration and Arthur is certainly a part of that. Arthur and his wife, Joan, also play a part in Rice's history as the first magisters of Martel College, where they served for four years."
Few’s relationship with Rice spanned more than four decades. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics and math from Southwestern University in 1962, followed by a master’s degree in astrogeophysics from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1965 and a doctoral degree in space science and physics from Rice in 1969.
He stayed at Rice to eventually become a tenured faculty member, teaching classes in atmospheric physics. Few’s work earned him the respect of his peers as he was internationally recognized as an authority in atmospheric science and electricity, specifically thunderstorms and lightning.
Few and his wife were also magisters at Baker College from 1994 to 1998 before becoming the inaugural magisters of Martel College in 2000.
“Arthur was by all accounts an energetic professor and adviser, exactly what Martel needed in an inaugural magister,” said Daniel Domingues da Silva, associate professor of African history at Rice and current magister of Martel. “Along with Joan, he sowed the seeds of what would become our college culture and set an exemplary model for future Martel magisters, students and associates.”
Few is survived by Joan Schelling Few, his wife of 60 years, three daughters and their husbands, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.