Solomon W. Golomb (May 30, 1932 – May 1, 2016)
Shannon Award winner and long-time ITSOC member Solomon W. Golomb passed away on May 1, 2016.
Solomon W. Golomb was the Andrew Viterbi Chair in Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC) and was at USC since 1963, rising to the rank of University and Distinguished Professor. He was a member of the National Academies of Engineering and Science, and was awarded the National Medal of Science, the Shannon Award, the Hamming Medal, and numerous other accolades. As USC Dean Yiannis C. Yortsos wrote, “With unparalleled scholarly contributions and distinction to the field of engineering and mathematics, Sol’s impact has been extraordinary, transformative and impossible to measure. His academic and scholarly work on the theory of communications built the pillars upon which our modern technological life rests.”In addition to his many contributions to coding and information theory, Professor Golomb was one of the great innovators in recreational mathematics, contributing many articles to Scientific American and other publications. More recent Information Theory Society members may be most familiar with his mathematics puzzles that appeared in the Society Newsletter, which will publish a full remembrance later.
A quick search a moment later revealed this sad confirmation along with some great photos from an award Sol received just a week ago:
A sad day 4 @USC @USCViterbi @USCMingHsiehEE with the loss of beloved Sol Golomb. Was only last week we celebrated his Franklin medal.
— Yannis C. Yortsos (@DeanYortsos) May 2, 2016
With Andy Viterbi and Sol Golomb at the celebration of @TheFranklin @USCViterbi @USCMingHsiehEE pic.twitter.com/0iktSa9zf1
— Yannis C. Yortsos (@DeanYortsos) April 22, 2016
Sol Golomb receiving the @TheFranklin medal in Electrical Engineering @USCViterbi @USCMingHsiehEE pic.twitter.com/L3RFUGhsWs
— Yannis C. Yortsos (@DeanYortsos) April 21, 2016
As is common in academia, I’m sure it will take a few days for the news to drip out, but the world has certainly lost one of its greatest thinkers, and many of us have lost a dear friend, colleague, and mentor.
I’ll try touch base with his family and pass along what information sniff I can. I’ll post forthcoming obituaries as I see them, and will surely post some additional thoughts and reminiscences of my own in the coming days.
Brint Cooper, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I wanted to pass this along before you read it in a newspaper.
So sorry to hear this. Sol was just a lovely man. Bo, if you are reading this, please know that my thoughts are with you and your family.
😞
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Very sorry to hear this.
Sol had a full/normal day at the office on Friday and had been in good health for his age, so it’s a shock to all his friends and family. Sadly, Bo has been in poor health since early March and has been in hospital for a while. Details are still being worked out.
I’m so sorry for your loss! He sounds like an amazing and brilliant person.
😢
Oh! How so very, very sad. I shall miss his visits to Baltimore and wondered why he wasn’t here for Homecoming, as this is one of his graduation years. Thanks for letting us know the sad news.
Johns Hopkins has a nice obit: Solomon Golomb, pioneering scholar of mathematics and engineering, dies at 83 | Hub http://hub.jhu.edu/2016/05/04/solomon-golomb-obit
The Daily Trojan (USC Paper) has a short obit for Sol recapping USC’s early statement of his passing: http://dailytrojan.com/2016/05/03/university-professor-solomon-golomb-dies-83/
USC News has a longer obituary including quotes from colleagues and friends as well as some remembrances from his funeral service:
In memoriam: Solomon Golomb, communications technology pioneer, 83
Legendary scholar’s work in communications helped usher in the digital age
https://news.usc.edu/100264/in-memoriam-solomon-golomb-communications-technology-pioneer-83/
Chris Aldrich do you gave any word on the family’s preferences for memorial gifts?