Dr. Bruce D. Mann, a beloved Economics professor at the University of Puget Sound, passed away on October 1st at the age of 78 from leukemia. This post is my attempt to highlight Dr. Mann’s remarkable life and contributions to his university and county.
Bruce graduated from Antioch College with a BA in Economics before spending two years in Iran with the Peace Corps. He then received his PhD in Economics from Indiana University and started his lifelong career teaching at UPS in 1974. I was lucky enough to be in Dr. Mann’s 300-level microeconomics class before his passing, where on the first day, he celebrated 50 years as a UPS Economics professor. His passion and love for economics were incredibly apparent, particularly because of his constant and lively gesturing during lectures and conversations. One faculty member told me that Bruce had stacks of manilla envelopes filled with papers in his office. Before every class, he would walk the folder to his classroom and then proceed to never touch or consult the manila envelope for the entire lecture. Maybe it was a habit or just in case, but Dr. Mann truly knew his stuff and expected the same love and dedication from his students. No one loved teaching and mentoring as much as Bruce, whether in his classrooms, during long conversations in his office, or instructing 12 and 13-year-olds in chanting Hebrew for their bar and bat mitzvahs.
Bruce was also active in his Pierce County community, helping with the Pierce County annual Horizons economic forecast for 25 years alongside his friend Dr. Douglas Goodman. His articulate yearly reporting and modeling helped Tacoma flourish into the city it is today. He was also a vital part of the Tacoma Jewish community, serving as president of Temple Beth El for several years and as an active board member until his passing. Bruce and his other Jewish Colleagues transformed Bet El into the space I know and love today. Bruce was also deeply involved in the Tacoma Jewish community fund, helping finance and support Jewish institutions in Tacoma and Israel.
Dr. Bruce D. Mann lived an incredibly generous and thoughtful life. He helped people whenever he could and never asked for praise in return. Bruce refused to display any honors or awards in his office, preferring to show his merit with actions rather than papers. His love for his family, university, and county is unmatched.
Like many in our department here at UPS, Professor Mann hated using the measurement Utils to describe the quantity of utility a specific action, good, or service would produce. Instead, Bruce would refer to utility as “jumps for joy.” The amount of jumps, leaps, and bounds of joy Bruce has given to all of us here at UPS is truly unquantifiable, and he will be missed deeply by the many of us whose lives he touched.
Dr. Mann’s full obituary can be found here.
That sucks, he was my favorite Econ professor. RIP Bruce.
Bruce was critical in raising the rigor of Puget Sound’s Economics degree. His commitment to use economics to improve his community sets an example for us all.
I was so sad to read of Bruce’s passing in the latest Arches. He truly changed the trajectory of my career—and thus, my life. I started college as a Biology major at the University of Puget Sound, unsure of what I wanted to do long-term but certain that I loved learning about science. Then, in the second semester of my sophomore year, I took Econ 101 to fulfill a general requirement. A few weeks into the class, I realized how much I enjoyed the subject and began considering a shift in my academic path. At the same time, I started recognizing that an Economics degree would offer a broader range of career opportunities than Biology alone. Halfway through the semester, I met with Bruce to share my plan: I wanted to double major in Economics and Biology—and still graduate on time. There was a logistical problem, though: the required senior seminar for Econ was only offered in the first semester of senior year, and I wouldn’t have all the prerequisites completed in time. Bruce didn’t hesitate. He simply said, “No problem, we’ll make it work.” And he did. Under his guidance, I packed my junior year with Econ and Bio courses. In my senior year, Bruce allowed me into the thesis class under the condition that I take the remaining prerequisites in my final semester. He was my advisor, my champion, and someone who deepened my excitement for the “dismal science.” Because of Bruce’s time, energy, and willingness to support me, I graduated on time with a double major. Since then, I’ve built my career on the foundation of my Economics degree, working in insurance and now spending over a decade at Amazon. I often reflect on how pivotal my liberal arts education was in exposing me to disciplines outside of my initial focus—and how incredibly fortunate I was to have Bruce’s support in making a transition possible. I will forever be grateful to him. Thank you, Bruce. Your impact extends far beyond the classroom.