Life   and   Times   with   Bob   Liebermann
1977   – Present
Jay   Bass
Grad   Student   at   Stony   Brook   1977 ‐ 1982
COMPRES
University   of   Illinois   Urbana ‐ Champaign

• For   me,   it   all   started   in   March   or   April   1977,   as   a   graduate   student   at   ASU   in   Geophysics

A   grad   student   worst   nightmare
• My   advisor   at   ASU   was   denied   tenure.
• What   to   do?
• A   panicked   call   to   Taro   Takahashi   at   Lamont
• “There   is   a   very   energetic   young   guy   who   just   got   to   Stony   Brook.
His   name   is   Bob
Liebermann.
Call   him   up   and   tell   him   I   told   you   to   call.”

• Grad   admissions   were   already   decided,   but   the   semester   was   still   several   months   away……
• Bob   went   into   action….
2 ‐ minute   drill
• I   was   admitted   and   told   to   get   to   SBU   to   start   work   in   the   summer.

‐
• Very   supportive,   tight ‐ knit   faculty:   Bob,   Don   Weidner,
Don   Lindsley,   Charlie   Prewitt,   Jim   Papike,   Nevill Carter,
Ollie   Shaefer,   Gil   Hanson,   Pete   Palmer   (Hager,   Melosh)
• Great   students,   post ‐ docs,   visitors:   Alan   Kafka,   Mike
Vaughan,   Tony   Vidmar,   Hubert   King,   Louise   Levine,
Andy   Au,   Paula   Davidson,   Ben   Burton,   Barbara   Leitner,
Tibor Gasparik,   Charlie   Langmuir,   Nom   Hamaya,   Toshi
Sasaki,   Tim   Grove,   John   Parise,   John   Delano,   Jay
Banner,   Steve   Shirey…Liebau,   Perchchuk,   Pucharovsky
• Lots   of   Interaction:   Clam   hunts,   chili   cookoffs,   beer ‐ fine   parties,   parties   at   faculty   &   student   houses,   singing   the
Holiday   Inn   song   to   Ollie   at   AGU.

Valhalla   at   Rocky
Point

• Refreshing   impromptu   late ‐ night   swim   after   some   department   event   at   Sunwood (Fall
1977)
• A   very   big   party   at   Bob   &   Barbara’s   after   passing   my   quals (only   ~15   minutes   remembered,   May   1978)
• Dinners   with   Bob   &   Barbara
• Boys   nite out   during   a   baby   shower…..

My   favorite:   Boys   nite out   during   a   baby   shower…..
• Playing   pool   in   a   biker   bar   in   Pt.
Jeff   (Tamara   Inn?)
• Bob   and   I   were   HOT that   night,   holding   the   pool    table   for   a   long   long   time….

• Bob   Mentoring:   Sage   advice   to   Quentin   Williams
• “It’s   probably   not   a   good   idea   to   act   like   a   total   jerk”

• My   mother   had   a   surprizing remote   close   relation   to   Bob.
She   never   met   him.
But   when   ever   I   left   she   asked   me   if   I   will   meet   him.
Then   I   should   say   her   hello   to   him.
One   day   she   had   asked   me   to   make   a   joint   photo.
We   made   it   and   she   had   it   at   the   place   she   mostly   was   sitting,   i.e.
she   saw   it   every   day.
It   might   be   she   simply   felt   very   familiar   with   him   just   from   my   short   stories   about   him.
I   deeply   regret   that   she   never   met   each   other.
I   have   the   privileg to   know   Bob
Liebermann   since   many   years.
I   have   to   remark,   how   many   scientists   and   others   worldwide   I   know,   there   is   no   one   who   is   similar   to   him   even   in   a   percentage   of   10%.
Please   give   him   my   best   regards   and   best   wishes   for   health   and   happiness.