DONALD  COXETER  Prof.

 

Harold Scott MacDonald Coxeter

 

 

Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

 

Born : 9th February  1907 - Kensington, London, England

Died : 31st March  2003 - Toronto, Canada

Married : Hendrina ( Rien ) Johanna Brouwer ( 1910-1999 )  m. 20th August 1936

Children : Edgar H. & Susan J.

Parents : Harold Samuel Coxeter ( 1878 - 1936 ) m. 1. Lucy Gee ( 1872 ) - Donald's mother

m. 1922 & later divorced 1920.                                   2. Katie Gabler ( b. 1901 ) m. 1922

 

Mathematical academic

CANADIAN

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Scott_MacDonald_Coxeter

https://www.science.ca/scientists/scientistprofile.php?pID=5

https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Coxeter/

 

 

Donald Coxeter as a young man. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
Donald Coxeter as a young man. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

 

Dori Seeley tells the story when she lived in Clemson, South Carolina and then known as Dori Jamison, back in the early 1980s, a tall man, a visiting academic friend of her husband Robert, came with his wife Rien from Toronto, Canada, where Donald was a Professor of Mathematics at Toronto University.

 

The man was Donald Coxeter and when he entered the breezeway of her house, Donald loudly exclaimed when he saw a framed B/W picture in that passage way

" Shri Meher Baba ".

 

Everyone was stunned by his knowledge of who the man was in the picture, especially his wife Rien.

Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

 

Donald Coxeter explained that back in the early 1930s, his father Harold took him to East Challacombe in England to visit an Indian mystic-holy man.

Meher Baba visited the retreat at East Challacombe twice - 1931 & 1932.

Donald was either 24 or 25 depending which year he went.

It's not known how long he stayed or what transpired when he met Baba.

When Donald called out Baba's name when he saw his portrait, about 50+ years had passed since he last saw him. It was remarkable to remember Baba's name.

Donald was attending Cambridge University in England at the time, doing his doctorate.

It's not known whether his father Harold had a long lasting connection with Baba.

Donald had a close working relationship with the artist M.C. Escher.

 

The property East Challacombe Farm is now known as North Challacombe Farm.

Thanks to Dori Seeley & Bob Underwood for their assistance.

1931-Meher Baba at East Challacombe,Devon, England. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
1931-Meher Baba at East Challacombe,Devon, England. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

EAST CHALLACOMBE, DEVON, ENGLAND

1929 Adversiting in the magazine "Meher Message" & other magazines.
1929 Adversiting in the magazine "Meher Message" & other magazines.
Donald painted by his mother Lucy Gee - he's 2-3 y.o.
Donald painted by his mother Lucy Gee - he's 2-3 y.o.
Donald as a young boy studying in England. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
Donald as a young boy studying in England. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
M. C. Escher’s Circle Limit III - 1959, inscribed ‘To Professor H. S. M. Coxeter, with gratitude'.
M. C. Escher’s Circle Limit III - 1959, inscribed ‘To Professor H. S. M. Coxeter, with gratitude'.