"An article appeared in the Los Angeles Times, a Los Angeles daily newspaper, dated 7/18/56, to the effect that the
appointee's wife was granted a divorce from him because of
appointee's constantly working calculus problems in his head
as soon as awake, while driving car, sitting in living room, and
so forth, and that his one hobby was playing his African drums.
His ex-wife reportedly testified that on several occasions when
she unwittingly disturbed either his calculus or his drums he
flew into a violent rage, during which time he choked her, threw
pieces of bric-a-brac about and smashed the furniture. This antic
reflects that the court approved a $7500 cash settlement in
favor of the appointee's ex-wife, giving her an automobile, furniture and objects of art, as well as $300 per month for two
years and $250 a month for a third year"
As I noted in the edit to my comment in another sub-thread, their divorce happened before "no-fault" divorce was created. At that time, couples wishing to divorce would often concoct stories of abuse or adultery to give the courts grounds on which to grant their request.
It's doubtful anyone alive today could say definitively, but this could be an instance of that practice. I certainly hope it was.
I can't say I knew him well but I knew him out of school, and this is completely unlike the guy I knew. Your theory makes sense -- especially the humorous elaboration about thinking about calculus at all times as grounds for divorce -- THAT sounds like the classic sense of humor.
"An article appeared in the Los Angeles Times, a Los Angeles daily newspaper, dated 7/18/56, to the effect that the appointee's wife was granted a divorce from him because of appointee's constantly working calculus problems in his head as soon as awake, while driving car, sitting in living room, and so forth, and that his one hobby was playing his African drums. His ex-wife reportedly testified that on several occasions when she unwittingly disturbed either his calculus or his drums he flew into a violent rage, during which time he choked her, threw pieces of bric-a-brac about and smashed the furniture. This antic reflects that the court approved a $7500 cash settlement in favor of the appointee's ex-wife, giving her an automobile, furniture and objects of art, as well as $300 per month for two years and $250 a month for a third year"