Carl Henry Brans, longtime member of the Department of Physics, passed away on February 26, 2026, at the age of 90

Carl Henry Brans — beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and a physicist whose ideas helped deepen humanity’s understanding of gravity — passed away on February 26, 2026, at the age of 90.

Born December 13, 1935, in Dallas, Texas, Carl showed an early gift for mathematics and a lifelong curiosity about how the universe works. He earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola University New Orleans in 1957 and went on to Princeton University, where he completed his Ph.D. in 1961 under the guidance of Charles Misner and Robert H. Dicke. His doctoral work led to the Brans–Dicke scalar-tensor theory of gravity, an important extension of Einstein’s general relativity that continues to influence theoretical physics and cosmology.

Carl returned to Loyola University New Orleans in 1960 and remained there for most of his long and distinguished career, eventually serving as the J.C. Carter Professor of Theoretical Physics and later Emeritus Professor. He also held visiting positions at Princeton University, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the University of Cologne.

While deeply respected in the scientific community, Carl was, to those who knew him best, a devoted family man. In 1957 he married Anna Dora Monteiro, beginning a partnership that would span 64 years until Anna’s passing in 2021. Together they built a warm and lively home in the New Orleans area, including many years in Metairie, Louisiana.

Carl’s life was not confined to equations and lecture halls. He was an enthusiastic and competitive tennis player for many years, especially at the Sunrise Community Club near the family home in Metairie. Music was another lifelong passion. An accomplished amateur pianist, he loved classical music and could often be found at the piano, bringing the same patience and precision to music that he brought to physics.

He was preceded in death by his mother (Delia), his father (Carl), his wife (Anna), and their daughter (Mary Elizabeth). He is survived by four children—Thomas Joseph Brans (Lori); Henry Robert Brans (Beatriz); Patrick David Brans; and John “Jack” Edward Brans (Kim)—nine grandchildren, and fifteen great-grandchildren.

Those who worked with Carl remember a thoughtful scholar and generous mentor. Those who knew him personally remember something just as important: his sense of humor, his love of music and sport, and his deep devotion to family.

His scientific legacy will endure in the continuing evolution of gravitational theory. His personal legacy lives on in the family he loved and the many students and colleagues whose lives he touched.