In Memory of Doug Tygar

I knew Doug when he was a grad student at Harvard. Like no one else, Doug knew the importance of computer science and yet treated it as a sport, as a game to be enjoyed while you were trying to win it. It was fun to talk to him about a problem, and you left the conversation both awed and humbled. I am stunned that he is gone. A loss to the field and to all who loved him. I know everyone who knew him at Harvard would want me to share their condolences.

Doug was a good friend. He was a large presence, with his huge laugh, stentorian voice, and vast knowledge of technology, math, literature, music, film, dance, cuisine, history, and politics. I have been a friend and colleague of Doug for more than 20 years, ever since I helped recruit him to UC Berkeley in 1998.

Doug always claimed to hate meetings, but he was the one who livened them up -- speaking with authority about arcana. He was always laughing at the absurdity of life and human foibles, and always advocating for principles of justice and decency.

Doug was a consistent supporter of his female colleagues in computing. Although he would claim human nature is selfish, Doug himself was quite generous. He was a pioneer in bringing usability considerations into the field of computer security, and very kindly included me in a key paper in this area. He leant servers, read grant proposals, and even gave up his office in South Hall. Doug promoted the work of others, but always deflected praise about his own considerable accomplishments.

Doug believed in the formalities of a civilized society. His requests were of an old-world politeness. At commencement, he made an unforgettable visual impression, looking regal in his Harvard crimson robes. He was also a witty poet. In response to some long ago competitive threat (I don’t fully recall, but it appears that perhaps some other school was going to give cars to incoming students), he wrote this satirical and yet incredibly skillful poem for the computer science department faculty:

Wild boars and lions haul Admetus' car.
White horses seven pull the Morning Star.
Gold panthers lead bright Bachus on his way;
Gemmed peacocks Juno's chariot convey.
By chastened lions Cybele is drawn,
And antlered stags tug fair Diana on.
Behind wingéd dragons Ceres travels,
And flights of doves bear Venus to her revels.
Sea horses still their thalassic lord tug;
But if you choose Cal you will drive a new Bug.


Doug cared a great deal about a great many things, including the role of computing in society, and the institution of UC Berkeley and academia generally. Long ago he told me that a professorship is a good job, because it allows one to age with dignity. I am deeply saddened that he was not able to live out this plan, and I will miss him greatly.

Marti Hearst
Professor, UC Berkeley
January 18, 2020

This news made me extremely sad.

Back in 2005, I was a postdoc at UC Berkeley working with John Chuang. I was not yet full-time in security, but Doug took an interest to what I was doing and was very generous with his time.

In particular, an event stands out, close to the end of my stay at Cal. When I accepted an offer to join Carnegie Mellon's campus in Japan, I was wondering if this was the right choice: it was far, it was not tenure-track, I had never even been to Asia...

Doug knew obviously quite a lot about CMU and had an encyclopedic cultural knowledge. He spontaneously took me to lunch and for more than an hour and a half. After hearing Doug's perspective, I came out of the lunch energized and convinced that not only Japan was going to be an amazing cultural experience, but that I could build on this position to launch my academic career.

Japan was better than what I could have dreamed of, and I am still happily at Carnegie Mellon fifteen years later.

Thank you, Doug.

As Doug’s neighbor, I echo others’ comments about Doug’s wit and wisdom, also his kindness and encouragement. When I was an administrator at Cal, his sense of humor helped me to weather the storms in California Hall and, when I retired, he kept me in touch with campus happenings so I’d feel that I was still part of the Bear family that he loved. As I science educator, I marveled at his broad and deep knowledge of the flora and fauna of Claremont Canyon, where his home was next to mine, and was amazed at his ability to communicate complex phenomena simply and elegantly. Our shared interests included wine (after achieving sommelier certification, he then achieved the equivalent for saki) and cooking. I reciprocated his gifts of wine with pies, cookies, and ice cream recipes I was working on; he cheerfully critiqued with specific recommendations for improvement and heralded my progress. He was a great teacher and neighbor.

I’ve sent a link to this page to Doug’s family and would be happy to forward any private messages, stage@berkeley.edu