Dick,
I had a telephone call last night from Jim Brewer's sister, Betty, to
let me know that Jim had died that evening. He had gone into a coma
a couple of days earlier and was not expected to last long. The
older Mad Dogs knew Jim, but I expect most of the younger runners
don't. He had been battling brain cancer for about a year and gave
it a good fight. He told me just a week ago that if he could join
the Mad Dog Run this year, he would do so, even if he had to do it
with a walker!
Sorry for the bad news. Grover

[24 Sept. 2006]

Hi, all,

Just a note to tell you that Jim Brewer died Sept. 23 [2006].

For the newer runners, Jim was one of the original MadDogs in the early '70s.
You can read Jim's take on how the group started on our Web site, at
http://www.kumaddogs.org/about/history/index.html

There's a picture on that page as well, and Jim is in the front row, at the
far right.

He moved to Florida about 20 years ago and was a math professor at Florida
Atlantic University. He returned a few times over the years, most recently for
our 2003 reunion.

Jim was a competitive runner at all distances at a time when our group had a
lot of competitive runners.
Among other things, he went to South Africa in 1981 and ran the Comrades
Marathon (which is actually an ultra) and some 50Ks and marathons there.
Comrades was 95K (about 55 miles) the year Jim ran it.

Jim was best at shorter distances, but his times included 2:59 marathon, 36:30
10K, 17:11 5K, 4:43 mile, and 55.4 for 440 yards.
You can find these and others on our Web site, at www.kumaddogs.org, at the
Records link and Races link.

Jim was diagnosed with brain cancer about a year ago and had undergone
extensive treatment.
He remained active, and visited Harold Yarger in January to watch the Houston
Marathon.

Jim's wife says he was able to teach his graduate algebra class at home as
recently as the Monday before he died, but began having seizures that evening
and then went into a coma within a few days. His death was peaceful.
The burial was in Jacksonsville last Thursday.

--Dick Lipsey

From Peter Lorenzi:

Jim Brewer befriended and inspired me, from my first running with the
Mad Dogs in 1979 through to today. While many teased Jim for his
politically incorrect attitude, love of Florida State, and style, he was
a by all definitions a man's man and a fierce competitor. I was proud to
be part of the 5K team that won its class at KU about 1980, and I was
there only because someone was hurt and Jim asked me to run with the
team. And what company it was: Bob Hughes, Herschel (and Jo) Stiles,
Grover Everett, Jim Brewer, and Mike Ott were the tried, true and highly
successful runners from that group.

Jim also taught me about South Africa. He had me read "The washing of
the spears," a must read book about the history of that country. He
would take me to that steep hill off Kasold in NW Lawrence, just to
practice running the hill: run up, walk dowm, run up, walk down. We'd
run those horrible indoor laps in the field house, where the trail
runner had to sprint to the lead. He used to have me over to his house
when I was sans television to watch his favorite show, "Miami Vice." I
remember plenty of Sunday morning runs from his house, with refreshments
almost as good as those we'd get from Ed Eglinski. When I went to UNC in
Fall 1986 I was glad to be able a room my apartment to his daughter who
was starting law school at UNC at that time.

I first crossed paths so to speak with Jim in the Massachusetts Street
Run circa 1979 when he flashed by me, angered when I made a move on him
in the race. Only later did I learn how impolite and unwise I had been.
Jim, Phil Montgomery, John Bunce, Fred Van Vleck, Sri, and, later, Bill
Ullery, made the KU math department a running force to be reckoned with.

I spoke with Jim shortly after Dick informed us of Jim's condition. We
had not spoken in more than ten years but we fell right back into a
comfortable conversation. It has been twenty years since I left Kansas.
Almost every day in my academic life do I recall some story, lesson or
example from my days at Kansas. We were runners once, and young, and Jim
was a big part of those memories, those lessons, those successes, and
those experiences. I am sure Jim is running ultramarathons in heaven
right now, and kciking a lot of butt in the process, as well as ticking
off many of the angels and saints.

From Doug Houston:

Peter Lorenzi has it right: Jim Brewer was one hell of a guy; somebody
that you couldn't overlook. And if you did, you sure missed something.
For all his political incorrect bluster, he took as much as he got. In
our world of KU running he was out front (or trying to be) much of the
time, and if he couldn't be first, then he'd work with you to get you
there. I can still remember Jim "inspiring" me at the 1982 Kansas
Relays Marathon with his in-your-face coaching style. I was going up
the final hard grade on Indiana Street, up onto campus just before the
final descent into the stadium. I was whipped. Jim cruised in his
station wagon about 10 yards in front of me all the way up that hill,
yelling out the car window: "Come on Houston, Catch that guy in front of
you before he hits the stadium." I don't think I did, but I still know
that what he wanted from me was great effort, not a bad thing for all of
us to do in life...

From Herschel Stiles:

To the KU running community and the family of Jim Brewer,

I just got this forwarded to me through Peter to Jo to me, and thought that
I would retell a story, that I have told many time, but don't know if any of
you remember it..... but it exemplifies Jim's and all of our competitiveness
and friendship at the time. Please forward to any/all of Jim's and Mike's
families, that you are still in contact with, and any others who remember
the late 70's and early 80's KU faculty and extended family runners. (I
divided Peter's sent to list into two groups so that I could get my ISP to
send)

Hope that you enjoy this, it is one of my fond memories of Jim and Mike and
of that time..... so one disclaimer, the pace times may be slightly
exaggerated, or pessimistic, but not by much, I have forgotten a few of the
minor details.

The race.

So.... it is 1979 in Lawrence, late summer and the Topeka Public Library
decides to put on a race in Topeka on September 23, 1979. It actually says
September 22-23, 1979 on the award plaque, but it was only 9 miles, and we
weren't that slow. There were two races to be run simultaneously, a 9-mile
Open race, and a 9-mile Relay consisting of three 3-mile legs, with teams
consisting of at least one woman. So Bob Hughes and Jo and I decided to form
a team, and got Mike Ott and Jim connected with Jo's sister Bev, who lived
in Topeka at the time, to form a second team. At this point we had reached
some sort of critical mass of competitiveness, self hype, testosterone,
trash talking, etc. That "it was on."

The teams were actually very evenly matched, at least I think. Bob and Mike
were of similar speed at 3-miles, and both capable of something like
5:00-5:15 pace. Jim and I were likewise of similar speed at 3-miles,
something like 5:35-5:50 pace, although on the track, Jim was faster than
me. Jo and Bev were also of similar speed, something like 6:10-6:30 pace.
There were no rules on order of competitors, and since Jim and Bob seemed to
take the lead in the whole, "who's the fastest, who going to kick whose
butt, blah, blah, blah", it just seemed right that they anchor the relay,
and it was up to Jo and I and likewise Mike and Bev, to set up the ultimate
showdown. Bob with better endurance and faster at anything greater than
probably a 1/2 mile, and Jim with probably better top end speed for at least
the last 1/4 mile. Bob expected to be about 2-minutes behind at the hand off
and would have to run down Jim. Jim had made it pretty clear that if Bob
caught him with less that ~1/2 mile to go, that there was no way that Bob
could out kick him!!!!!

We ended up with Jo running the leadoff leg, followed by me, and then Bob as
our anchor, while Mike was the leadoff, followed by Bev and then Jim as
their anchor. We had many strategy sessions over a few beers, and I am sure
that Mike and Jim had the same. We also had many runs with Mike and Jim,
Bob, Jo and I, and pretty open discussions about why the other team did not
have a real chance to win, and why it should have been obvious that that was
the case. I am also sure that neither team bought the other's story.

Race day arrives, and we all show up, and Bob, me, Bev, and Jim, go off to
the 3 and 6 mile hand off points. As some of you remember in those days,
sometimes the races were not marked very well, a few chalk arrows, etc. If
you were lucky, the race leaders were guided around by a guy on a bike or a
motor cycle ,and you hope to keep someone in sight. So this is what
happened... Mike took off with the leaders, there were 2-3 guys who ran the
full 9 miles at near 5:00 pace, and Mike ran with them. Jo immediately lost
sight of them to run her pace, I don't remember the time, but there were a
few people around her when she got to the handoff point. I took the handoff
from Jo and took off. Mike had handed off to Bev a few minutes earlier.
However, she was left to run the second leg with 2-guys running 5:00 pace
and no one else anywhere close, and they promptly ran off and left her... so
this is where it got really vague, but after the fast guys ran away, she
missed a turn, and got off course, and ran several extra miles touring
Topeka. Needless to say I did not miss the turn, but could understand how
she got lost. The course was not marked very clearly. When I showed up at
the 6-mile point ahead of Bev and saw Jim and Bob waiting, we knew something
was wrong, Bev should have been there ~2 minutes earlier. My time turned out
to be ~17:40 for the 3 miles. Not a great run for me, but I can assure you
that it was all that I had. Jim was really hyped up to run, and then reality
hit and he was clearly depressed, and we could all understand. Mike, Bob,
me, Jo, and Bev all got to run, Jim did not, and the showdown was just a let
down. Bob ran well, but without the incentive to "run down" or at least try
to run down Jim, it was sort of anticlimactic.

Bob, Jo and I got first place in the Open Relay and each got nice little
plaques, that I still have. Obviously we wanted to win, but I would rather
have raced and finished second and listened to the endless gloating (those
that knew Jim, know that I don't mean this as a negative comment), than have
this have ended this way.

So now, its just a trophy and a reminder of the fun and the sometimes
disappointments that we have all had in running. Its also why we ran and
hopefully still do, to run with good friends, as Peter said develop lifelong
and transcending life connections that we carry with us. It fun to remember
the good times that we had together. All the best to Jim's family, he was a
good friend.

From Mike Kelly:

From Neil Salkind:

Although I disagreed with Jim on just about everything we spent hours talking about (how’s that for an interesting comment), I remember him for his unfailing honesty, support, and genuine character. He added spice to all our lives. Neil

From Linda (Blair) Resovsky:

From Mohamed El-Hodiri:

What can I say about Jim Brewer. I can't say much without remembering
Mike Ott telling me that Jim Brewer came to him one day (most likely in
the middle of one of those 18 mile training runs when I either started
singing or telling animal stories and mike got a distance away from me)
and said: "You and I are best friends" and mike had no choice in the
matter. I will venture to say that Jim felt that way about all of us in
the running group and it did not matter because we were his best friends
and thus he could say any thing to any of us and it did not have to be
politically correct or polite because you don't have to pretend to your
friends.
He never talked mathematics to me (except to show me the book written by
his mentor once when the Sunday run was from his house and we finished
the coffee cake and the beer and started on the hard liquor (in Jim's
world, that was healthy AND IT WAS). But he talked to all of us about
running (I remember a workshop when Jim introduced himself as a
marathoner and then a mathematician. We had to listen to a tape of Jim
talking himself through a double marathon in Southern Africa. I
remember his advice to his own son to eat real men food so he can become
a real man later (i.e. a multi-marathoner). I could not forgive Bridget
for not humiliating Jim (as she did others) during the Kansas relays
marathons.
Good by Jim. We loved you and we will continue to do so and you knew
it.

From Grover Everett:

Fellow Mad Dogs:

Last May, the mathematics department at Florida Atlantic University
held a symposium in Jim Brewer’s honor. Jim wanted me to come to
say a few things about his career as a runner. Unfortunately, Jim
was hospitalized just prior to the symposium and could not be there.
The symposium was held anyway. I gave my talk at a banquet the night
before the symposium. Here is what I said:

Most of you probably know Jim Brewer as a mathematician. Perhaps you
are not aware that Jim was an outstanding runner! My name is Grover
Everett. Unlike many of you here, I am not a mathematician. I was a
professor in the chemistry department at the University of Kansas,
and I knew Jim as a runner. I first met Jim in the early 1970’s when
I was running each day around noon. Several faculty members from the
math department began running also at that time of day, and although
I didn’t know them at that time, I noticed that one of these guys
stood out as an exceptional runner. He was easily recognizable from
a distance because of his full head of curly hair that extended
several inches in all directions. Up closer, one could hear his
voice above all others. He talked as fast as he could run, and he
would talk as long as he was given the chance!

Later, we all came to know each other well, and we ran together most
days. Eventually, other faculty and some graduate students from
various departments within the university joined us, and our group
became known as the “Mad Dogs and Englishmen”, taken from a poem by
Noel Coward about how only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the
midday sun. There actually were two Englishmen in the group in those
early days, and, like Noel Coward’s mad dogs, we loved running in the
hot, noonday sun.

I want you to know that Jim was a hell of a runner! He ran for fun,
for comradeship, and to prepare for races. Some days we would take
very strenuous training runs, but on other days we would do a
“conversational five”, meaning we ran slowly enough to carry on a
conversation. Most serious runners are specialists; they are
sprinters, middle-distance runners, or long-distance runners. Jim
was very unusual in that he was good at all distances. He could run
a quarter mile in 55 sec, a time that would be competitive in most
colleges, and he could also run a marathon in less than 3 hours.

Over the years Jim ran many individual races and team relays with his
friends. There are far too many to mention here, but I would like to
focus on just three events:

Okie Relays: A 4-man (or 4-woman) relay from KS to TX across the
Panhandle of Oklahoma; 10.4 miles for each runner. Jim did this 4
times; he once ran the 10.4 miles in 61 min, an average of better
than 10 mph!

I think Jim’s best long races were two ultramarathons he ran in South
Africa when he was there on sabbatical in 1981 at age 38. One of
these, the Comrades Marathon, is said to be “the ultimate human
race”. It starts at sea level in Durban and goes 90 km (56 miles) to
Pietermaritzburg. There are 5 major hills. The highest point is
870 m (2850 ft). On his first attempt, he was within sight of the
finish when the time expired, and he was not eligible to finish. It
is a tribute to Jim’s courage and determination that he tried this
race again and finished in 8 hrs, 49 minutes (a 9:27 mile pace).
PHOTO: note Jim’s focus and relaxed posture here! This is a classic
shot of Jim Brewer during his running days.

The “Two Oceans Marathon” takes place near Cape Town and passes along
the shores of both the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. It is described
as “the world’s most beautiful marathon”. It is 56 km (35 miles).
Jim ran this in 4 hrs, 42 minutes (8:06 mile pace). PHOTO: Note the
expression on Jim’s face here in comparison to the two runners behind
him. Jim is smiling on an uphill section in the middle of an
ultramarathon!

I could go on for quite some time, but I won’t. I will summarize by
saying that I never had a closer running buddy and that my life would
have been quite different had I not known Jim Brewer.

I talked with Jim nearly every week this past summer. We talked of
many things including races long ago. In spite of his brain cancer,
Jim’s memory was perfectly clear. He easily recalled details that I
had long since forgotten! Grover

From Jeff Allen:

I have been thinking about the loss of a good friend and genuine person
since Dick's email. My recollection of Jim stems from the respect one had
for his companionship and friendship. I recall on one of my best days
running, we were running the "cornfield run" and it was a perfect day. I was
running the best that I could run when in the last half-mile, Jim came
alongside me as we were sprinting from Louisiana Street to Robinson
Gymnasium. He said "Why Jeff, you're running pretty well these days". It is
noteworthy, not because I was running well, but that I recall the day as if
it was yesterday. That is the level of respect I had for Jim. When Jim
Brewer gave you a compliment, you knew it was sincere and you treasured it.

He will be greatly missed for being genuine and honest. You always knew
where Jim stood and he did not shy away from telling you exactly where that
was. Good bye to a founding member of the Mad Dogs group. I feel privileged
to have been included in that group and to have known Jim.


P.S. - Can anyone remember Jim's recount of his first Little League home
run?

From Deborah Altus:

Oh, wow. Just got back from a conference and discovered all the e-mails. How
very sad!
Thanks to all who shared memories. I have a bunch of memories, too, but
mostly I will always remember Jim's laugh, as it seemed like he was often
laughing. I loved the last Sunday run at his place before he left Lawrence
when he planted lots of different kinds of drinks besides water on the long
run. Leave it to Jim to think of doing that! And it was always interesting
to hear the spirited conversations between Jim and others on the long runs
-- especially as it took my mind off the pain of trying to keep up with the
group! He always challenged me to try to keep up with the fast group and
inspired me to be a better runner.
My love and deepest condolences to his family.

From Harold Yarger:

From Ed Rutter:

Like many others, I was deeply saddened by Jim Brewer's untimely passing. It was particularly poignant for me because I lost my wife and father to cancer well before their times. Jim had some warts, don't we all, but they were more than offset by his good qualities, especially his big heart and infectious personality.