Monday, February 9, 2009

Happy 90th Birthday Paul A. Witherspoon!

Yes indeed, Dr. Paul A. Witherspoon turns 90 today. Dr. Witherspoon is a Professor Emeritus with the Department of Material Sciences and Engineering, UC Berkeley and Geological Senior Faculty Scientist with Berkeley Lab, Earth Sciences Division. Witherspoon also served as the Earth Sciences Division Director between 1977 to 1982.

We celebrate his birthday with a birthday announcement and ask all of his colleagues to send birthday wishes through the comments on this blog post. Find the announcement presented by the Earth Sciences Division, for Dr. Witherspoon's 90th Birthday by going here>>

31 comments:

Andrea Cortis said...

Happy Birthday Prof. Witherspoon,

It is a honor for me to work in YOUR Department.

If you allow me, in such a joyous day for you, I would like to make a wish for the rest of us here, that is to age as sharp and wise as you are.

Congratulations,

Andrea Cortis

Unknown said...

Congratulation Paul

You are an inspiration to us all.
Happy birthday and best wishes for the future.

Roland Gritto

Anonymous said...

С днём рождения, Paul

I wish you a joyous jubilee!
It is a great privilege to be a part of the division you founded a few years back.

I am raising a glass to you!

Dmitriy

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Paul!

It has always been a pleasure to work and visit with you.

Tom Daley

Unknown said...

Congratulations Paul, from rainy London.

Wish I was in Berkeley to wish you personally a Happy Birthday. Thank you for initiating me into your facinating world of fractured rock hydrology and coupled processes.

Yvonne Tsang

Anonymous said...

Paul,
very best wishes for your 90th birthday.
Alain

Anonymous said...

Dear Paul, Very happy birthday to you - Aquariuses are the best! and as they say "loin des yeux prés du coeur" Take care, Virginie

Yingying Kooyman said...

Happy Birthday, Prof. Witherspoon!
I didn't get the chance to work with you but I got the chance to speak and get fascinated by your gift of language. I've never met anybody who spoke to me in different languages fluently on the same occasion.
More power to you!
Yingying

Unknown said...

Hi Paul,

I never forget when Sally Benson and I were working at the East Mesa Geothermal
Site many years ago and you came out for a visit. We went out one night and stopped by a pool hall and you beat everyone of those pool sharks.

Happy Memories and Happy Birthday.

Ray Solbau

Anonymous said...

Dear Paul,
Happy Birthday! I remember you said you were a World War I baby.
Thank you for the confidence you showed in me in 1985 when you recruited me for the foam-flow project. That was an opportunity, that led to other opportunities, that has really made my entire career.

Peter Persoff

Anonymous said...

Dear Paul,
I wish you a very happy 90th birthday. I remember my first scientific meeting, a 1981 symposium on the Cerro Prieto geothermal field, listening to you emphasize “La energia es en las rocas” to an audience composed equally of English and Spanish speakers. As usual, you made everyone understand. How lucky have I been to be part of your division all these years, wrestling with my favorite equations and coaxing insights out of pressure transients and temperature profiles! Thanks for inviting me in.
Chris

Anonymous said...

Dear Paul,

I wish you a very happy birthday! I have very fond memories of my early days in the Earth Sciences Division (70's-80's) when you were the division director. You were an inspiration to me and to many others. It is a privilege to have been a co-author with you and Jane Long on a paper.

My best wishes,
Janet Jacobsen (aka Janet Remer)

Unknown said...

You are single handedly responsible for transplanting me from Japan to here in Berkeley. You guided me through PhD and work at LBL. I am still here and never regretted it. Thank you and happy 90th birthday!

-kenzi

Anonymous said...

Paul,
Feliz Cumpleaños! Wishing you only the best on this joyous occasion. Thank you for being a great patrón, mentor, and more importantly, faithful friend.
Cheers,
Krys

Anonymous said...

Dear Paul,

My very best wishes to you on your 90th birthday. You have been an inspiration to us. It was a lucky day when I first met you over 30 years ago.

Keep up the spirit.

With warm affection,

Karsten

Anonymous said...

Thank you for all you've done, the legacy you left for those of us now working in the ESD, and for the example of great leadership.

Happy Birthday.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Paul!

Best wishes on this special occasion. I hope that you are feeling well and enjoying yourself.

Congratulations!

Elton Cairns

Anonymous said...

Happy 90th Birthday Prof. Witherspoon!
Wish you have a happy marching to 100th.
Lehua Pan

Anonymous said...

Paul,

It has been a privilege to have known you over the past 34 years, and to have celebrated your 60th, 70th and 80th birthdays, and now your 90th birthday. We are honored to salute you on this great occasion in recognition of the great influence you have had over so many of us in the development of our professional careers.

John Apps

Anonymous said...

Dear Paul:
Happy 90th Birthday! Your life has been one big achievement after another! I'm so honored that I got to work with you for 7 years.
Let's toast to good health, I know you have a bottle hidden somewhere!

Anonymous said...

Happy 90th Birthday Paul! A toast to you with good Russian Vodka (but one that won't grow hair on the chest).

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Paul.

It is such a pleasure to see you often at ESD functions and lectures. Your many achievements gratify us all, and you must be proud of how the ESD you helped initiate has evolved and prospered.

Glenn Waychunas

Anonymous said...

Happy, happy B-day Paul!!! I just KNOW ya got a nice bottle stowed away for the occasion! Have a sip for me!

-Sherry

Anonymous said...

Happy 90th Birthday prof. Witherspoon!
When we heard you said "don't grow old", we laughed. We will grow old although you don't like it, but if I grow old with half achievement and wisdom as you do, I will count myself the luckiest man in the world.
Congratulations

Liange Zheng

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, Paul,

I am deeply honored working in a Division started by you. You inspire us both academically and socially.

Congratulations !

Tianfu Xu

Anonymous said...

Paul:

I knew you would stay kicking as long as you keep drinking four quarts of booze a day.

Working with you was one of the highlights of my professional career.

Dai Watkins

Anonymous said...

Paul,

Happy Birthday. It was always a pleasure to interact with you as a fellow Associate Director.

-Bill Lester

Anonymous said...

Happy 90th Paul,
Thank you for your inspiring and energizing team-leadership; for creating some of the most memorable high points in my life; and for teaching us what esprit de corps meant in the real work-world.
For a "over-the-hill oil-patch geologist" you sure built a monumental legacy........Karl Olson

Andy Sessler said...

Dear Paul,

Congratulations on your birthday ! I just celebrated my 80 th, so I am right behind you (as usual).

I think back, most fondly, to the days when you got earth science going at LBL. Those were the days !!

Andy

Unknown said...

Happy birthday Paul!

I wish you all the best on this special day for you.

Cheers,

Pat Dobson

Anonymous said...

Dear Paul,

Congratulations to your Happy 90th from Yucca Mountain - a project that you cared about a great deal.

It was a privilege and a pleasure completing my thesis work with you, which helped me to develop perspectives that have proven so valuable. Thanks again for your support throughout the years.

Ming