Clavius Home

The Clavius Group
Collaboration in Mathematical Research

“Let an academy be formed for the advancement of mathematics”

(Christopher Clavius SJ in 1596)

61st Year

Clavius Group at Holy Cross in 2023

About the Clavius Group

The Clavius Mathematical Research Group is a team of about 30 mathematicians who spend two summer weeks together, doing mathematical research while sharing work, prayer, and recreation. For 60 years, they have been meeting on college campuses and research institutes in the US and abroad and interacting with the members of the host mathematics departments. About one-third of the members are Jesuit mathematicians. The lay mathematicians attend with their families. Although most currently active members are from the United States, five other countries, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, India and Poland are also represented. In earlier years, there have also been members from the Dominican Republic, France, Italy and Spain.

Members of the Clavius Group have specialized in Algebra, Algebraic Geometry, Algebraic Topology, Graph Theory, Complex Analysis, Differential Geometry, Differential Topology, Foliations, Mathematics of Relativity, Mathematical Logic, Noncommutative Rings, Number Theory, Partial Differential Equations and Topology of Manifolds.

Christopher Clavius, SJ

The Euclid of the Sixteenth Century

The Clavius Group was named for the sixteenth century German Jesuit mathematician, Christopher Clavius. A more extensive history of the Clavius group along with an account of Clavius’ scientific work, written by Joseph MacDonnell SJ, may be found
here .

Joseph MacDonnell, SJ (1929 – 2005)

The original design and text for this website is the work of the late Fr. Joseph MacDonnell, who was Professor of Mathematics at Fairfield University and long time member of the Clavius Group. In addition to chronicling the activities of the Clavius Group, Fr. MacDonnell collected information and authored books on the history of Mathematics, Fairfield University, and the Society of Jesus.

Current List of Clavius Mathematicians

Jennifer Ackerman
Michael Ackerman
Tom Banchoff
Adam Bartoszek
Joseph Billotti SJ
Jacob Binoy SJ
Tom Cecil
Lawrence Conlon
Pedro Ferreira SJ
Margaret Freije
Richard Freije
Kathy Hall
James Heitsch
Michele Intermont
Ron Knill

Maura Mast
Michael May SJ
Sr Barbara Reynolds SDS
Patrick Ryan
Paul Schweitzer SJ
Dennis Snow
Joanne Snow
James Stasheff
Pedro Suarez SJ
Andrius Tamulis
Nelson Velandia SJ
Julio Vidaurrazaga
Pawel Walczak

Further details on members of the Clavius Group

Host Institutions (All Years)

LOCATION	YEAR	LOCATION	YEAR

Georgetown University	’63 ’17	Loyola, New Orleans	’64 ’65 ’66
Mexico City	’67 ’68 ’71 ’72 ’77	Boston College	’69 ’93 ’96 ’04 ’07 ’11
Northwestern	’70 ’74	McGill, Montreal	’73
Institute for Advanced Study	’75 ’79 ’84 ’89 ’94 ’01	Princeton University	’76
Institut des Hautes Études	’78 ’82 ’87 ’92 ’97 ’03	University of Notre Dame	’80 ’85 ’90 ’95 ’00 ’05 ’09 ’14
College of the Holy Cross	’81 ’83 ’99 ’06 ’10 ’15 ’16 ’18 ’19 ’23	UC Berkeley	’86
Fairfield University	’88 ’91 ’98 ’02 ’12	Saint Louis University	’08
Loyola University Maryland	’13

Host institution according to year (Full Listing)

Host Institutions According to Year (Since 2000)

2000	University of Notre Dame	2010	College of the Holy Cross
2001	Institute for Advanced Study	2011	Boston College
2002	Fairfield University	2012	Fairfield University
2003	Institut des Hautes Études Scientifique	2013	Loyola University Maryland
2004	Boston College	2014	University of Notre Dame
2005	University of Notre Dame	2015	College of the Holy Cross
2006	College of the Holy Cross	2016	College of the Holy Cross
2007	Boston College	2017	Georgetown University
2008	Saint Louis University	2018	College of the Holy Cross
2009	University of Notre Dame	2019	College of the Holy Cross
		2020-2022	Online meetings only
		2023	College of the Holy Cross

Carlos Vasco (1937 – 2022)

Carlos Vasco, a member of the Clavius group since 1974, died on September 28, 2022. He was a professor of Mathematics at the National University in Bogota, Colombia for 25 years and more recently supervised doctoral theses in Mathematics education at several universities in Colombia. He also was an influential advisor to the Ministry of National Education with respect to Mathematics curriculum and a dedicated supporter of the poor in the barrios of Bogota, where he served as a Jesuit priest. For more about Carlos’ life and career, see this article which appeared in the Colombian media at the time of his death.

Massimo Lorenzani, SJ (1944 – 2022)

Massimo Lorenzani SJ who was active with the Clavius group in the 1980’s, passed away in Rome on May 17, 2022. Professor Lorenzani taught Mathematics at Universita di Roma “La Sapienza” for almost 40 years until his retirement in 2010. In his later years, he served as professor of Sacred Scripture at the Theological Faculty of Sardinia. For more about Massimo’s life, see his obituary.

John Lutts (1932 – 2020)

John A (Jack) Lutts, long-time member of the Clavius group, passed away on September 21, 2020. He was a Mathematics professor at the University of Massachusetts, Boston from 1966 until his retirement in 2007, and continued teaching for several additional years. For more about John’s life, see his obituary.

John Blanton (1927 – 2016)

John Blanton, Professor Emeritus at St. John Fisher College, died on December 18, 2016. A member of the Clavius Group for fifty years, John took part in his last Clavius meeting at Holy Cross in July 2016, in spite of seriously declining health. For more about John’s life, see his obituary.

Javier Leach, SJ (1942 – 2016)

Javier died on August 3, 2016 in Madrid, shortly after participating fully in the annual Clavius meeting at Holy Cross. He was 74 years old, a Jesuit for 56 years, a priest for 43 years and a member of the Clavius Group since 2010. More about Javier’s life and career may be found here.

Andrew Whitman, SJ (1926 – 2015)

Andy died on January 7, 2015. He was 88 years old, a Jesuit for 63 years, a priest for 51 years and a co-founder of the Clavius group. More about Andy’s life may be found here .

William Stoeger, SJ (1943 – 2014)

Bill died on March 24, 2014 after a struggle with cancer. He was an astrophysicist and cosmologist who served as a staff scientist for the Vatican Observatory Research Group in Tucson and an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona. He will be remembered by fellow Clavians for his fascinating lectures on the formation of stars and the origins of the universe. More about Bill may be found here .

John Poluikis, CSB (1923 – 2012)

John passed away on May 28, 2012. He was Professor Emeritus at St. John Fisher College and an active and enthusiastic participant in Clavius summer meetings for over 30 years. Further information about his life may be found here .

Andrew Whitman Awarded Papal Honor

On January 26, 2011, Andrew Whitman, SJ, received the Holy Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, a special honor given by Pope Benedict XVI for distinguished service to the Church. This year we celebrate Andy’s 60th year as a Jesuit, his co-founding (with Larry Conlon) of the Clavius group, and his continuing inspiration and contribution to the intellectual apostolate. We also acknowledge his many years of service, first as a professor and then as a member of the Vatican Observatory. More information about Andy’s life and accomplishments can be found in two recent news items, one in the Southern Jesuit and one in the Vatican Observatory newsletter.

Hugh Albright, FSC (1928 – 2011)

Hugh Albright image

Hugh passed away on February 25, 2011. Memorial tributes and information about his life may be found here . This material has been compiled by Joanne Snow.

Clavius Activities at Holy Cross in 2023

Clavius Activities in 2022

Clavius Activities in 2021

Clavius Activities in 2020

Clavius Activities at Holy Cross in 2018

Clavius Activities at Georgetown in 2017

Clavius Activities at Holy Cross in 2016

Clavius Activities at Holy Cross in 2015

Clavius Activities at Notre Dame in 2014

Clavius Activities at Loyola University Maryland in 2013

Clavius Activities at Fairfield University in 2012

Clavius Activities at Boston College in 2011