Tributes to Bruce Bolt

John Filson

It was with great sorrow that I learned of the passing of Bruce Bolt. My deep sympathy goes out to Beverly, his children, and his colleagues.

I first met Bruce Bolt in 1963 when we both arrived at Berkeley; he as a professor and director of the seismographic stations and I as a new graduate student. Bruce became my advisor and guided my research and development of my thesis. During this period he also guided the transition of the seismographic stations from the analog, paper record network established by Perry Byerly to one of the first, modern, telemetered networks with central recording and rapid analysis.

Bruce had broad scientific interests and great intellectual discipline. To a young graduate student he could be intimidating. He was an excellent lecturer, teacher, and mentor. His lectures, given in those days in a white laboratory coat, were clear, concise, and complete. He was a firm believer in the application of statistics to seismology. He once told me how shocked he was to learn that someone had published the standard deviation of a result based on a guess. He wrote, I believe, one of the first computer programs to locate earthquakes and required all of his students to use computers in their work.

In later years I often called on Bruce for advice and guidance. He served on many committees related to earthquake science and safety with the same discipline he applied to his academic work. He never left the room until he was confident that a clear, actionable statement would result from the deliberations. Through his pro bono work he was able to share his wisdom and vision for the future. An example is the national seismic system, which a committee he chaired in 1980 recommended, is just now coming into being.

As the years passed, I thought of Bruce as more of a friend than as a thesis advisor, but his influence from those early years would remain. Often, when in my work I faced a difficult decision, I found myself asking: what would Dr. Bolt do in this situation?.

All who knew Bruce Bolt are aware that we have been have been privileged and rewarded. All of the millions who will be protected in future earthquakes by his work are fortunate beyond their knowing.

John Filson 27 July 2005 Silver Lake, New Hampshire

Bruce Bolt | Tributes |

Berkeley Seismological Lab
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