In Memoriam: Craig Tracy

We mourn the passing of our colleague Craig Tracy. 

Craig Tracy was an American mathematician known for his contributions to mathematical physics and probability theory. Born in 1945 in England to a British mother and an American father, Craig was raised on a farm in Missouri. After obtaining a B.Sc. in Physics from University of Missouri (1967), he studied at Stony Brook University, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Physics with the thesis Spin-Spin Scale-Functions in the Ising and XY-Models (1973), advised by Barry M. McCoy. 

Craig was my first graduate student. [...] Craig walked into my life 50 years ago in the early 1970’s when T.T. Wu and I were working on Ising model correlations and Painleve equations. In the 4 years from 1973 to 1977 Craig and I wrote 8 papers together which brought Painleve functions and equations into physics in totally unexpected ways. Craig was a pioneer in these discoveries and I remember these times with great fondness.

Barry McCoy, Distinguished Professor, Stony Brook University, Oct 2021

After postdoctoral work at the University of Rochester (1973-75) and the Institute of Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook (1975-78), Craig was appointed an assistant professor at Dartmouth College in 1978 and promoted to associate professor in 1983. Craig moved to the University of California, Davis in 1984 and was promoted to full professor. At Davis, he served as Chair of Mathematics from 1994 until 1998. He was appointed Distinguished Professor of Mathematics in 2008, and Distinguished Professor, Emeritus in 2021.

Tracy and [his long time collaborator] Widom's revolutionary work has changed the direction of their field, and has had a far-reaching impact on many different areas of mathematics. [...] The Tracy-Widom law has become part of the common language of mathematicians.

Motohico Mulase, Professor, UC Davis, May 2006

Craig’s research received uninterrupted grant support from the National Science Foundation for 43 years (1980-2023) that led to more than 100 publications. His work was recognized with several top awards in mathematics, including the George Pólya Prize of the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (2002, with H. Widom); the Norbert Wiener Prize in Applied Mathematics, (2007, with H. Widom); and the Leroy P. Steele Prize for Seminal Contribution to Research in Analysis/Probability Theory (2020, with H. Widom). 

Craig Tracy and Harold Widom have done deep and original work on Random Matrix Theory, a subject which has remarkable applications across the scientific spectrum, from the scattering of neutrons off large nuclei to the behavior of the zeros of the Riemann zeta-function.

AMS-SIAM Weiner Prize Citation, 2007

Over the years, Craig held several honorary appointments and distinguished lectureships, including a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship and RIMS Research Professorship (1991), the Aisenstadt Chair, Centre de Recherches Mathématiques, Montréal (2008–09), the Batsheva Fellowship in Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Israel Academy of Sciences (2008–09), and a KITP Simons Distinguished Visiting Scientist position (2016). He was an elected Member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2006), and a Fellow of the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (2011), and the American Mathematical Society (2013).

Though mathematics was central to Craig’s life, he was also an excellent photographer and an avid hiker, exploring widespread places like the Chilean Patagonia and the Faroe Islands. Craig spoke fondly of walking the Black Forest with Widom during one of their visits to Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach in Germany.

We had both agreed that at a certain time we’d turn around so as not to get lost at night in the Black Forest. As that time approached, we rounded a bend and could see our goal—still in the distance. We both said simultaneously “let’s keep going.” Then Harold turned to me and said “That’s why we work well together!"

Craig Tracy, 'Remembrances of
Harold Widom', AMS Notices April 2022

Craig passed away peacefully on January 29, 2026, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Nelson; his daughters, Elizabeth and Ingrid; his stepdaughters Emily and Maggie, his sister, Jeanette; nine grandchildren; and one great grandchild.

I had the privilege of knowing Craig Tracy for only a few short years and am so profoundly grateful to have had the honor to serve him in a very small way.  Despite his physical giant stature, he was a man with gentle soul, who was soft-spoken, kind, and honest.  I was honored when he took out time to proudly share photos and memories of trips and hikes he had taken with Barbara – here I saw an honorable man who truly loved his wife.  I will cherish the memories of this gentle giant and am so deeply saddened by his passing.  My thoughts are with Barbara, whose loss must be so immense and unimaginable.  Craig will be greatly missed.

Anonymous, March 2026