Bruce H. Bryant ’51

Bruce H. Bryant ’51—a distinguished geologist with a lifelong love of the outdoors and especially the mountains of the American West—died on January 12 in Boulder, Colorado. Bruce was a member of an especially loyal family of Dartmouth alumni, dating back to his great-grandfather, Henry B. Atherton, class of 1859. Bruce’s father, William J. Bryant, graduated from Dartmouth in 1925. Bruce was a geology major and a member of Delta Upsilon, the freshman cross-country and ski teams, the Outing Club, and the Carcajou Ski Club, which he served as secretary and treasurer. He earned a Ph.D. in geology at the University of Washington in 1955. He was a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey for 40 years. He delighted in field work and the hiking and skiing that went with it. He published more than 100 scholarly papers. Bruce was an honorary member of the Colorado Scientific Society and was honored with the U.S. Department of the Interior Meritorious Service Award. Bruce was widely admired for his love of knowledge and learning. He read deeply and broadly and was quick to bring out scholarly reference books at the family dinner table. Special interests included ecology, preservation of open spaces and natural resources, and local history. He was actively involved with Colorado Open Lands, Clear Creek Land Conservancy, and Plan Jeffco, all dedicated to preserving open space, wildlife habitat, and scenic views.