Calvin News

“Larry was one of the founding fathers of Calvin’s computer science program,” said Joel Adams, emeritus professor of computer science. “All the good things that have happened to the CS program since the early 1980s started with him and Sandy Leestma.”

Larry Nyhoff spent four-plus decades serving as a professor of mathematics and computer science at Calvin University. On November 13, 2024, he died following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s.

Nyhoff, a 1960 graduate of Calvin, earned a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan and later a PhD in mathematics from Michigan State University. He returned to primarily teach mathematics at his alma mater for 20 years. And then, seeing a growing interest in computers, leaders asked Larry to consider helping with the development of new courses in that area.

Exploring New Terrain

While reluctant to do so at first, he eventually said yes.

“The Calvin community is glad that he did because what followed was two decades of ground-breaking work in computer science education,” wrote Keith Vander Linden, professor of computer science, in his retirement tribute to Nyhoff.

Nyhoff would have a partner in this work: Sandy Leestma. The two would begin putting together course materials for this developing field. Their goal was to learn as much as they could so they could prepare their students well.

A Student-Centered Approach

“Larry’s professional interests and pursuits have always been determined by what his students needed rather than by what he himself was inclined to be interested in,” wrote Gerard Venema, emeritus professor of mathematics.

“In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Larry and Sandy were teaching Fortran but there were not any good introductory computer programming textbooks. They created notes for their students, which were distributed through the Calvin bookstore,” said Adams. “A MacMillan sales rep visited the bookstore, saw those notes, recognized the need they filled, and reached out to them about creating a textbook.”

While Nyhoff and Leestma were doing everything they could to stay one step ahead of their Calvin students in this developing field, it became apparent that their expertise would serve a much wider student base.

Making a Wider Impact

One textbook turned into dozens of books on Fortran, Pascal, Modula-2, C++, Java, and other CS topics.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that Larry and Sandy’s work ‘put Calvin on the map’ in CS circles—their books collectively sold over a million copies,” said Adams. “The books were used at Harvard, Carnegie-Mellon, Duke, and many other schools, making them instrumental in educating a whole generation of CS students.”

In fact, Adams said their books are even being used beyond academic circles.

“In the late 1990s, I visited the FBI’s crime lab in Washington D.C. and a Leestma and Nyhoff textbook was on their shelf as the lab’s computer programming reference book,” said Adams.

A Selfless Scholar

While Nyhoff was thrilled that the books he co-authored were being found in all of these places and many more, his main reason for starting and continuing this work for decades centered on his primary audience: his Calvin students.

“He taught challenging technical courses and went out of his way to help his students understand the material,” said Adams. “His career as an author came about because he worked to fill the vacuum of good programming textbooks.”

“I appreciated the effort that Professors Nyhoff and Leestma took to create the textbooks needed to teach,” said Rick Stroobosscher ’87, a former student of Nyhoff’s. “At the time, I don’t think there was anything comparable, and those textbooks still sit in my library today.”

A Deep Care for Students and Colleagues

The material Nyhoff created was beyond helpful, but the relationships he built with both his students and his colleagues illustrated the “why” behind his work and remain central to his legacy.

“I enjoyed the relationship he developed with us as students. He liked to come off as a bit gruff, but that was really only part of his playful nature,” said Stroobosscher. “In the fall of 1985, Professor Nyhoff and I had become immersed in some serious trash talking during the American League Championship Series. Unfortunately, after taking an early series lead, my Jays eventually succumbed to his Royals. The next day, Professor Nyhoff entered the classroom sporting a Royals cap and a wide grin on his face, and for good measure, removed from my head the Jays cap that I was wearing.”

“When I think of Larry, the terms good-humored, humble, and hard-working come to mind. And he loved a good joke,” said Adams. “In the early 2000s, my Calvin Mac (desktop computer) was due to be replaced, and I requested a new Apple laptop instead of a desktop. The geology department had been using an early 1980s Franklin Ace (an Apple II clone) as a recording device for their seismograph. By the 2000s, that clone was dying, so GEO purchased a new computer to replace it, and put the clone out in the hallway to be recycled. Larry saw this 20+ year old discarded Franklin Ace sitting in the hallways, was inspired to move it to my desk, and added a note saying, ‘Here is your new Apple-compatible laptop—enjoy!’”

Considered a Top Teacher

Near the conclusion of his time teaching at Calvin, Nyhoff was awarded the university’s top teaching honor—the Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching, which his former colleagues say put a fitting capstone on his career: honoring both the quality of his teaching and scholarship and his devotion to the Calvin community.

“The time he spent teaching overloads and developing new courses in academic fields that he didn’t himself choose, and the way he devoted himself to his students have left an indelible mark on this community,” wrote Vander Linden.

Nyhoff is survived by his wife Sharlene, their four children: Jeff (Kelly) Nyhoff, Jim Nyhoff, Julie (Greg) Cole, and Joni (Tom) VandenBosch, and 14 grandchildren.

A visitation will take place Tuesday, December 17, from 5-8 p.m. and Wednesday, December 18, from 10-11 a.m. at Shawnee Park CRC (2255 Tecumseh Dr SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506). The celebration of life service will be held on Wednesday, December 18, at 11 a.m. at Shawnee Park CRC. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be given towards the Larry and Sharlene Nyhoff Scholarship in Computer Science at Calvin University.