These comments were shared by Thomas Rossing's friends, relatives, and colleagues around the world at the time of his passing in 2022. To add to the comments, go to https://tinyurl.com/RossingMemorial.
The news of Dr. Rossing's passing arrived late to me. His influence on my life is not a small one, as his knowledge and love of sound inspired me to pursue a career in audio. His morning lectures at NIU always began with music as we entered the lecture hall- usually classical but sometimes jazz- and he would ask us what was playing and who the composer was. As the lone music major in the class, Dr. Rossing expected me to know these things. This added scrutiny (I often did NOT know the answer) made an already challenging class more so, but Dr. Rossing had a wonderful way of demanding much of us while not being discouraging. His enthusiasm was infectious, his demonstrations of concepts of acoustical physics were engaging and by the time I left school to begin my career, he had fostered a curiosity about sound that has fueled me ever since. He even helped us design our first recording studio- Idful Music Corp- by nudging us toward better angles of the walls in the tracking rooms. Those rooms sounded great. I am grateful to have been his student. Here's to a long life well-lived. RIP, Dr. Rossing.
Brad Wood
Tom was my M.S. advisor and mentor (1989-1991) at Northern Illinois University and then a colleague and friend in the years since. His influence on my life and career were very significant. I summarized what I learned from Tom in an article "The Rossing Factor -- How I Benefited from being Tom Rossing's Student" (https://asa.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1121/2.0001444). He had a very contagious enthusiasm for acoustics, research, and education. I am very sorry to hear of his passing, but I am also very blessed to have been his student, colleague, and friend.
Dan Russell
Dr. Rossing was a huge influence in my life and I will always remember being his student at Northern Illinois University from 1974 until I finished my Masters of Science degree in Physics in 1978. He was much more than a great mentor and teacher. He was a good friend. The world has lost a really good one. We need more like him.
Calvin Rose
Dr Rossing was my advisor, mentor, and friend while I was grad student at NIU from summer of 1976 to summer 1978. None of us grad students had 1/10th the energy of Dr. Rossing, he had more than enough to keep me and my great roommate, Calvin Rose, also a student of Dr. Rossing occupied. There was never a dull moment with Dr. Rossing. My first summer and year of grad school, Dr.Rossing was on sabbatical at Argonne, doing interesting maglev research. He was also writing a textbook, which he later published, on musical acoustics. When he returned most weekends to DeKalb, we’d discuss my latest research and then he’d ask for my feedback on his latest chapter. I got very good and fast at reviewing his chapters that benefited me greatly throughout my career!
His interests were very broad as he directed the church choir and wrote the weekly winter alpine ski review for the local paper. While in Salt Lake City for an Acoustical Society meeting, we went downhill skiing—my first time in the mountains—and he introduced me to Monty Python via the “Life of Brian” at a movie theater. If it snowed in DeKalb, we went cross country skiing before the snow melted otherwise pick up basketball was an option.
I was fortunate to have had business travel to the Bay Area six and seven years ago when I had the opportunity to visit Dr. Rossing and get a personal tour of his office at Stanford. He invited me to stay overnight, so I offered to buy dinner at a restaurant of his choice. Ever budget conscious to save for his love of travel we dined at the campus Panda Express! Later, always a good host, he offered me a glass of wine but surprised me when he didn’t join me, but instead had a cup of coffee. I inquired “doesn’t that keep you up at night?” to which, without losing a beat, he shrugged and wryly replied “…it helps”. We had a good laugh at that which I have often enjoyed the memory since.
One last anecdote: we were both dinosaurs of the slide rule days, though being more experienced, he was much faster than me. However, I had acquired an HP 25 calculator the summer of ‘75. One day in his office reviewing my research, we were both doing the same calculation—he on slide rule and me on my HP 25. He beat me. However, being clever, I had programmed the calculation so the next time we repeated the calculation, I had the answer almost instantaneously. After that, he relied on me for quick results. End of an era, and start of a new one!
Craig Anderson
I have so many memories of having dinner after an invited speaker or visitor to the laboratory across the street at his house in DeKalb. It was always such a joy to get to talk more with the distinguished scientists and educators who he invited to NIU.
Andrew Morrison
Great Uncle Tom Rossing shared a wonderful, thoughtful, and humorous toast at our wedding reception that helped make our day special and left everyone smiling. As a child and young adult, I can remember many occasions where Great Uncle Tom embarrassed all of us at a game of tennis or ping pong! We will be praying for him and the whole family and will remember him fondly.
Kate and Phil Rossing
Tom was a traveler and adventurer. We remember with pleasure his meeting up with us in France when we were young.
Andree, Tom and Ann Robert
I think of Tom and the first image that comes up is him with many exotic gongs and bells gathered from all over the world. He seemed to derive equal joy from solving the acoustics problems inherent in each instrument, and from explaining those solutions clearly and compellingly. I'm glad I knew him, and grateful for the row of his books on my shelf.
Christine Shadle
I have had the pleasure of teaching from Dr. Rossing's excellent textbook on Musical Acoustics for many years. I am a faculty member in the Physics department at St. Olaf College as well as an avid musician who plays brass instruments. Teaching our Musical Acoustics course is something I truly love to do, and Rossing's textbook has made a tremendous contribution to the experience for me and my students. The Thomas Rossing Scholarship program for Physics majors has also made a large impact on Oles over the years. We are grateful for his vision and support for this important program.
Brian Borovsky
I was Tom's second and last PhD student. Tom not only supported me academically to complete my degree, but he also taught me a lot as a mentor in life. Tom invited me to almost every dinner party at his house and tried to bring me to many concerts, museums, and other places. So I felt like I was his daughter. I also have a lot of fun memories from when he was a visiting scholar at Seoul National University in Korea. When Tom was a visiting scholar at Stanford University, I became a visiting scholar at Stanford University. I think going to a concert at Stanford in 2020 was my last meeting with him. I hope Tom will be happy as a good master who loves music and teaches physics in heaven.
Junehee Yoo
Tom Rossing was an outstanding researcher and educator in musical acoustics, and a lasting inspiration to many generations of students and colleagues in this interdisciplinary field. I am personally immensely grateful for his friendship and support over many years. Happy memories include the 1998 International Symposium on Musical Acoustics which Tom organised at Leavenworth, his time at the University of Edinburgh as Distinguished Visiting Professor in 2003, and many ASA meetings at which his enthusiastic contributions enlivened both scholarly discussions and social gatherings.
Murray Campbell
Tom was a good friend to both Murray and me. We thoroughly enjoyed his visit with us in Carlops while he was waiting to arrange accommodation in Edinburgh during his working Sabbatical with Edinburgh University in 2003. My most vivid memory is of the Perugia Musical Acoustics conference in 2001 on 9/11, singing Auld Lang Syne with Tom along with the room of shocked participants. Most memories, however, are happy ones of singing in ad hoc groups at ASA conferences in America. We miss him very much.
Patsy Campbell
In the mid 1970s I attended my first Acoustical Society meeting in San Francisco. There I met Tom, and upon hearing of my interest in music and acoustics he immediately encouraged me to join. Within a few years, we discovered that we each had a Musical Acoustics textbook in the works, and both appeared about the same time. In all the years that followed, we were always “friendly competitors” and enjoyed seeing each other at ASA meetings as well as the Stockholm Musical Acoustics Conferences. I always admired not only Tom’s technical accomplishments but also his gregarious and adventurous personality. Even though his professional record far outweighs mine, he was always respectful and positive in his friendship with me, and I am very glad he was part of my life.
Don Hall
Tom had a remarkable physical intuition that enabled him to find the right experiment to study any new musical instrument.
William Hartmann
The global steelpan community has lost a great mind! Tom's work in acoustics and musical instruments was phenomenally ground breaking. Where he really excelled was in breaking down this complex subject so that lay persons could understand. That is not all too common in the scientific community. Our collaboration with Andy Morrison in studying the steelpan instrument acoustics helped me tremendously to grow my academic career. We have indeed lost a great mind. May he rest in peace.
Brian Copeland, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
As a classmate of Tom’s at Luther College, I was present at our 50th class reunion when he announced his intention to establish a special scholarship fund for physics students at Lutheran colleges. It was evident then how much it meant to him to be able to share the fruits of his exceptional career in this way. The success of that fund in continuing to realize his vision is testimony to the value of his devotion to physics education. And a compelling example of what commitment to a profession can mean.
Richard Ylvisaker
When I began studying Music Acoustics, Tom’s Book was very important for me and he was definitely a guru in our field. I will never forget my first ISMA in France 95, when I had the chance to sing and play table tennis with him. And the ISMA in Leavenworth was another highlight to share the beautiful spot with so many interesting talks and lectures. 2003 I had the chance to give a workshop in DeKalb and to meet this kind person in private. Tom always supported people and all bells he measured shall sound. And maybe you can hear my distance trumpet farewell here in Vienna Austria.
Matthias Bertsch
Tom was a teacher, mentor, and collaborator to many interested in musical acoustics. I contacted him in 1999 to ask if I could do some interferometry on mandolin family instruments in his laboratory at NIU. To my surprise and delight, he said: Come ahead!" Thus began a collaboration and treasured friendship. I have missed seeing him in recent years, and I still do.
David Cohen
I have seen Tom at numerous ISAAPT meetings during the 43 yrs that I have taught HS physics in IL. He was always a pleasure to see, hear and talk to at the meetings. He always had some great ideas and demos. He lived a long and good life at 93 so remember him for the good times that you had with him. He will be missed by the ISAAPT and physics teachers in IL
Frank Cange
I helped Tom co-host our madrigal group very shortly before lock-down began (2020). He had many friends in the residential complex where he was then living in Mt. View, CA.
Eleanor Selfridge-Field
Tom was a delightful, dear, sweet person. He enlivened our madrigal sessions with his musicality and sly sense of humor. I will miss him.
Paul Wendt
In 1970, the Northern Illinois University Physics Department received approval to institute a doctoral program. It was then that Tom was selected to be the chair of the department. His charge was to oversee the establishment of the new PhD program. At the same time, I was looking into universities in the Chicago area where I might pursue a doctorate in physics. Not knowing about NIU’s recent approval to grant PhDs, I decided to go back to NIU, my alma mater, and ask the head of the physics department for suggestions regarding where I might study for an advanced degree. When I entered the chair’s office, there was Tom. Having just arrived from St. Olaf he was still unpacking books and setting up his office. When I explained why I was there, he said “why don’t you return to Northern and work with me.” It was Kismet.
And so it began, a 50-year period of friendship and collaboration. He nurtured and mentored me from the start. My story is not unique. His energetic mentoring of students and colleagues, his outstanding contributions to the teaching and learning of physics, and his amazing number of publications on acoustics and physics teaching continue to have an immeasurable impact on countless others.
As the years went by, Tom and I became involved in all sorts of collaborative endeavors. They included team teaching, speaking engagements, textbook writing, and travel. And along the way we always had fun! I smile every time I think of the adventures we shared.
Tom was a dear friend, mentor, unwavering advocate, and colleague. He changed my life in so many positive ways. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to publicly say “thank you, Tom.”
Chris Chiaverina
I have such fond memories of spending time with cousin Tom. He was so bright, interesting, witty and funny. He always seemed to have an interesting perspective that challenged conventional thinking. I loved that about him. He was a unique individual who made the world a better place.
Rene Robert
Tom's enthusiasm and kindness were an inspiration to everyone he interacted with. His commitment to education and to inspiring young scientists was legendary. He will be missed by all.
Thomas Moore
Dr. Rossing was Elden's adviser when he started at St. Olaf in 1963 and he took physics from him during his sophomore year. Solveig was not a physics major but remembers Dr. Rossing from Sigma Pi Sigma events with Elden. Happy memories!
Elden and Solveig Zemp
Tom spent a semester as a guest researcher in our group at KTH in the 1980s. We much enjoyed having him among us and working with him in a couple of studies of the differences between solo and choral singing. Also we enjoyed his contagious friendly, helpful and smiling attitude. With energy and inspiration he composed a special acoustic-experimental hymn, with Latin text, that was performed by professional solo singers in one of these experiments. Tom’s work on bells was a guiding light for Sten’s M.Sc. thesis project, a bell synthesizer. A quite special and unforgettable occasion that both Tom and all of us deeply enjoyed, was when he participated in the Nobel Prize Gala at the Stockholm Town Hall, with a big smile wearing Anders Askenfelt’s grandfather’s tails.
Johan Sundberg, Sten Ternström, Erik Jansson, Anders Askenfelt, Anders Friberg
Tom was my quantum mechanics professor my senior year at St. Olaf, his last year on the faculty there. Later when I also became a physics professor, I saw him frequently at American Association of Physics Teachers meetings and he always took an interest in how things were going for me. He graciously and enthusiastically offered helpful ideas when I told him I was including a unit on musical acoustics in my course. I remember a student-faculty gathering at St. Olaf when he led a small group in singing, accompanied by him. He gave all his students a wider view of physics in the world.
Mark Hollabaugh
I met Tom the first time when a colleague and I invited him to give a lecture at a one-week PhD-course on the physics of music instruments in Gothenburg in 1995, based on the beautiful book by him and Neville Fletcher. He made it a great week and everyone was impressed by his knowledge, joy of teaching, and nice and fun personality. I have been very happy to know him since then, and he invited me and my wife to come to St Olaf's college, from our sabbaticals in Wisconsin, and give a guest lecture on room acoustics in 2004. I had recorded myself saying a few words on my computer and played it back to Tom's students. In the lecture room, as my voice was heard over the loudspeaker, Tom said, with a twinkle in his eye, "That loudspeaker seems to add a Scandinavian twang to the sound!". He had a fun sense of humour, and that evening we saw my first Superbowl together and he explained the rules of American football as clearly as he taught physics. He was an extraordinary scientist, teacher, and person. We will miss him and try to carry on his inspiration.
Peter Svensson
Tom was my quantum mechanics professor my senior year at St. Olaf, his last year on the faculty there. Later when I also became a physics professor, I saw him frequently at American Association of Physics Teachers meetings and he always took an interest in how things were going for me. He graciously and enthusiastically offered helpful ideas when I told him I was including a unit on musical acoustics in my course. I remember a student-faculty gathering at St. Olaf when he led a small group in singing, accompanied by him. He gave all his students a wider view of physics in the world.
Mark Hollabaugh
Like many, I bought Tom's seminal The Physics of Musical Instruments book while in college. Many years after when I decided to switch research topics midway through my graduate career, I could not believe my eyes when I saw that THE Tom Rossing was teaching at Stanford's CCRMA. After deciding on a thesis topic, Tom immediately agreed to serve as one of my co-advisers. I've then attended many ASA conferences with Tom and have many fond memories of each of them. Outside of studies, I have also had the pleasure of hitting tennis with him a few times when he was already an octogenarian. If he was even half his age then, there would be no question he'd be wiping the floor with me on the court.
I am eternally grateful and honored to have had Tom as my graduate adviser.
Jack Perng
Many fond memories of playing tennis with and against Tom at St. Olaf.
Dick Kleber
I am so grateful to Tom for endowing the Rossing Scholarship. So many wonderful students benefited from this.
Amy Kolan
I was a baritone in the 2010s in the Palo Alto area [CA] madrigal group that Tom sang in for many years. One night I sat next to him and he told me afterwards that I was a fine singer. I was touched that he considered me so and that he cared to tell me. Thank you, Tom. I also enjoyed getting to know Tom better from giving him rides to/from our madrigal gatherings in the last several years before the pandemic (when we ceased meeting.)
Ted Lorraine
It was my pleasure to know Tom since the late 1970's. It seems like only yesterday when Orland Johnson and I first met Tom when we drove from West Lafayette, IN to his home in Dekalb, IL The purpose of our trip was to discuss with him a course, The Physics of Musical Sounds, that we we were developing at Purdue University, and to plan a research collaboration with him and his students on the acoustics of the orchestral tympani. To my knowledge, this joint research resulted in the first comprehensive experimental/theoretical study of the effect of air-loading on the tympani sound spectrum. Tom was subsequently a very frequent guest lecturer in our course, and General Physics Colloquium at Purdue.
I have always marveled at Tom's extreme work ethic, his prolific and novel contributions to acoustics research and education, his leadership and philanthropy in these areas, his love of travel, singing and other musical performance, and athletics.
He once remarked to me how much he admired the late Nobel Laureate Hans Bethe for publishing papers in physics in his 90's, and that he hoped he would live long enough to be able to do the same. As far as I know, he fulfilled (or very nearly fulfilled) his wish. He will be missed.
Arnold Tubis, Professor Emeritus of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
I always enjoyed Dr. Rossing's passion for acoustics, deep commitment to education in acoustics and his charming wit! I was honored to be a recipient of the Rossing Prize in 2017, and so grateful for the establishment of this award. My deepest condolences to the Rossing family. Peace.
Bob Celmer