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Alicia Nash

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Alicia Nash
Alicia Nash at the Second International Conference on Game Theory and Management in Russia, 2008
Born
Alicia Esther Lardé Lopez-Harrison

(1933-01-01)January 1, 1933
San Salvador, El Salvador
DiedMay 23, 2015(2015-05-23) (aged 82)
Monroe Township, New Jersey, U.S.
Cause of deathAutomobile accident
Spouse(s)John Forbes Nash, Jr.
(m. 1957–1963; divorced; m. 2001–2015 (their deaths))
Children1

Alicia Esther Nash (née Lardé Lopez-Harrison; January 1, 1933 – May 23, 2015) was the wife of mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr.. She was a mental-health care advocate, who gave up her professional aspirations to support her husband and son who were both diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Her life with Nash was chronicled in the 1998 book, A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar, as well as in the 2001 film of the same title.[1][2]

Personal life

Alicia Lardé was born January 1, 1933 in El Salvador, the daughter of Alicia (née Lopez-Harrison) and Carlos Lardé, a doctor. She had two brothers Carlos and Rolando Lardé. Both of her parents came from socially prominent, well travelled families, who spoke several languages. Her aunt was the poet Alice Lardé Venturino; her paternal grandfather was Jorge Lardé, a chemical engineer.[3]

When Alicia was a child, her father traveled to the United States a few times before deciding to move the family there permanently in 1944. After first settling in Mississippi, the family later moved to New York City. Alicia was accepted to the Marymount School with the help of a letter of recommendation from El Salvador's Ambassador to the United States[who?]. Following graduation from Marymount, Nash was accepted into Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from where she graduated in 1955 with a degree in physics. She was one of 16 women among approximately 800 men in M.I.T.'s Class of 1955. It was there she met her future husband, John Forbes Nash, Jr..[citation needed]

Her relationship with her future husband began to consume her life when he began showing signs of schizophrenia.[4]

Alicia is credited for providing support to her husband[by whom?]. They married in 1957. Alicia decided to commit her husband into McLean Hospital to receive psychiatric treatment for his illness. In 1959, Alicia and her husband had a son named John who was later diagnosed with schizophrenia.[5] The couple divorced in 1963, their marriage having been tumultuous from the beginning. Alicia continued to help take care of her husband after their separation; the couple remarried in 2001.[citation needed]

Career

After graduation from M.I.T., Alicia went to work for the Brookhaven Nuclear Development Corporation as a lab physicist. In the early 1960s, she worked for RCA as an aerospace engineer in the Astro Division and later worked for a short time at Con Edison as a system programmer. Years later she worked for the New Jersey Transit system as a computer programmer and data analyst.[citation needed] She was a member of numerous women's engineering societies.[citation needed] When the film A Beautiful Mind was released, Alicia was serving as president of M.I.T.'s Alumni Association Board.[6]

Mental health advocacy

Alicia became a spokesperson about schizophrenia and mental illness.[when?] In 2005 she was given the Luminary Award from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. She traveled around the country to discuss rights for those with mental illness, and in 2009 she met with New Jersey state lawmakers to discuss how to improve that state's mental health care system. In 2012, she was honored at the University of Texas at Austin’s John and Alicia Nash Conference for her support of those with mental illness, where she delivered the keynote address.[7][8][9]

Death

Alicia Nash and her husband were killed in a car accident on the New Jersey Turnpike on May 23, 2015, near Monroe Township, New Jersey. They were on their way home after a visit to Norway, where her husband had been awarded the Abel Prize. Travelling in a taxicab from Newark Airport, the driver lost control of the cab and struck a guard rail. Both passengers were ejected from the vehicle upon impact.[10][11][12][13][14]

Portrayal in media

Alicia Nash was portrayed by Jennifer Connelly in the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind. For her performance as Alicia Nash, Connelly won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, mentioning Alicia Nash during her acceptance speech.[2][15]

Further reading

  • A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar, 1998 ISBN 978-1-4516-2842-5

References

  1. ^ "Alicia Nash’s beautiful, complex, rebellious life", Toronto Star, May 29, 2015; accessed May 30, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Funeral for John Nash and wife to be private; Alumni group plans memorial", nj.com, May 26, 2015; accessed May 27, 2015.
  3. ^ Alicia Nash biography accessed 5/27/2015
  4. ^ The Lost Years of a Nobel Laureate accessed 5/27/2015
  5. ^ Mathematician John Nash and family advocate for mental health care accessed 5/27/2015
  6. ^ Alicia Nash was loyal heart accessed 5/28/2015
  7. ^ UTA Symposium accessed 5/29/2015
  8. ^ John Nash and family advocate for mental health care accessed 5/28/2015
  9. ^ Alicia Nash dies at 82 accessed 5/28/2015
  10. ^ Ma, Myles (May 23, 2015). "Famed 'A Beautiful Mind' mathematician John Nash, wife killed in taxi crash, police say". NJ.com. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  11. ^ "'A Beautiful Mind' mathematician John Nash, wife killed in crash". USA News. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  12. ^ "'Beautiful Mind' mathematician John Nash killed in crash". BBC News. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  13. ^ "Princeton mathematician John Nash and his wife, Alicia, are killed in a car accident". QUARTZ. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  14. ^ "John Nash, mathematician who inspired 'A Beautiful Mind', killed in car crash". Reuters.com. Thomson Reuters. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  15. ^ [1] Academy Awards database accessed 5/30/2015


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