Michael Dacey

In Memoriam

A memorial service in Alice Millar Chapel in January celebrated the life of longtime professor and Weinberg College senior associate dean Michael Dacey. He passed away in December in Evanston after a short illness. He was 74.

He is best known at Northwestern for establishing the hugely successful program Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS), for his careful mentoring of students writing senior theses, and for his warm and casual personal style which invited friendship across generations.

Dacey was professor of geography and geological sciences; his research centered on mathematical and statistical studies of land patterns, urban planning, and a variety of geographic and geological problems. He received his undergraduate degree in geography from the University of Kansas in 1954 and his master’s and doctor’s degrees from the University of Washington, Seattle, the latter in 1960. Prior to receiving his PhD, he analyzed maps for the U.S. Army in Japan. He joined the Northwestern department of geography in 1964, which he later chaired for six years. By virtue of his work, the department of geological sciences offered him a courtesy appointment and then when geography closed, Dacey also joined the anthropology department.

He founded the MMSS program in 1978 in response to a growing national recognition of the power of quantitative techniques for addressing social problems. The formal analytical training provides an opportunity for students gifted in mathematics to explore fields beyond math and science, and to succeed in a wide variety of careers in the social sciences and in business. The landmark program has brought outstanding students to Northwestern, many of whose theses were nurtured and brought to completion through the meticulous oversight of Professor Dacey. Yearly parties at his home helped create a community of the MMSS students. He received a Distinguished Teaching Award from the College in 1980.

Dacey’s quantitative research also served the Dean’s Office well when, as associate dean, he brought planning models to bear on how to raise the College to its highest level of academic achievement. Dacey had at his fingertips all the data needed to make sound decisions, from national college and departmental rankings to details about allocation of resources.

Daniel Linzer, Dean of Weinberg College, said, “We relied greatly on Michael’s ability to develop mathematical models to solve or plan resource needs and allocations. His ability to develop these models, and then to evaluate the results both qualitatively and quantitatively in terms of our mission of providing the best possible environment for teaching, learning, and research, was remarkable. Michael brought great insight and wisdom to his analysis of complex issues.”

Among Dacey’s former students who spoke at the memorial service was Omar Davies, Member of Jamaica’s Parliament and Minister of Finance and Planning. “It was hard not to become equally captivated, as he obviously was, with the elegance of applying mathematics to the analysis of social phenomena,” said Davies. “But Michael’s major strength lay in his disciplined approach to life and work…his phenomenal capacity to work extended periods and yet be simultaneously creative. This training has been my major asset in dealing with the challenges I face in my job.”