Rollie Myers

Rollie Myers Obituary

It is with a heavy heart that I write to let you know that Rollie Myers passed away this past Monday.  He was 92.

Rollie had been dealing with the challenges of a chronic heart condition for some time, and died peacefully in his home while recovering from a bout of pneumonia. 

He was born in Hastings, Nebraska on July 15, 1924.  Shortly thereafter, his family moved to South Pasadena where Rollie was a star chemistry student and held various summer jobs at Caltech while still in high school.  In September of 1942, Rollie matriculated at Caltech where he was a student of Linus Pauling and Ernest H. Swift.  He received his B.S. from Caltech in 1947, followed by an M.S. in 1948.  Rollie came up to Berkeley and earned his Ph.D. in 1951 with William Gwinn, at which time he joined the faculty as an assistant professor.  

Although he mentored many graduate students, Rollie was well known for teaching a wide variety of undergraduate courses and served as a true example of excellence in teaching, research, and service.  He was an expert in radio and microwave spectroscopy, having contributed extensively to the field, and he is widely recognized for having established the College of Chemistry’s NMR facility.  

Rollie’s depth of scholarship, his genuine interest in students as people, his deep historical knowledge and his wonderfully jovial nature will be deeply missed.  

A memorial service is being planned, and I will be back in touch once I have more details.  In the meantime, please join me in mourning the loss of a beloved colleague.