Dr. Andrew Mattei Gleason (1921–2008) was a mathematician who made many contributions to widely varied areas of math, including the solution of Hilbert’s 5th problem and was a leader in innovation and reform in math­e­mat­ics teaching at all levels. Professor Gleason’s theorem in quantum logic and the Greenwood–Gleason graph, an important example in Ramsey’s theory, is named after him.

As a young naval officer in World War II, Andrew broke Japanese and German military codes. After the war, he spent his entire academic career at Harvard University, from which he retired in 1992. His numerous academic and scholarly leadership posts included chairmanship of the Harvard Mathematics Department and the Harvard Society of Fellows and the presidency of the American Mathematical Society. He continued to advise the United States government on cryptographic security, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on math­e­mat­ics education for children, almost until the end of his life.