"Gaylord May" Archive

Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Gaylord May dies

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By Kerry King (’85), Wake Forest Magazine

For decades, the May brothers — identical twins Gaylord and Graham — were synonymous with mathematics at Wake Forest.

J. Gaylord May, who retired in 2009 after teaching for 48 years, died on Aug. 30 in Columbia, S.C. He was 81. He was among the longest serving professors in Wake Forest history.

A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Mon., Sept. 8, at Centenary United Methodist Church in downtown Winston-Salem. The family will receive guests after the service. He is survived by two sons, Michael and Gordon; and four grandchildren.

The May brothers began teaching at Wake Forest in 1961. Their similar appearance often confused students. One way students could tell them apart: Gaylord May smoked a cigar or cigarettes; his brother smoked a pipe.

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