Bertram (Bert) Herzog, dear colleague, cherished friend and distinguished computer scientist, has died. A leader and innovator in the SIGGRAPH community for over 30 years, Bert helped establish ACM SIGGRAPH as the world's premier computer graphics professional society and was celebrated during his lifetime with the 2002 Outstanding Service Award to recognize his strategic, technical and managerial contributions to ACM SIGGRAPH.

Bert's contributions to ACM SIGGRAPH were many. He elevated the stature of the organization by creating the coveted Coons Award in memory of his friend and mentor, Steven A. Coons. Due to his excellent stewardship as Chair of the Awards Committee for 14 years, the prestige of the Coons Award has grown and is widely recognized as the premiere computer graphics award. Bert helped to shape the overall SIGGRAPH Technical Awards Program. As co-chair of the SIGGRAPH Graphics Standards Planning Committee, he worked to develop the "Core System" technical standard. The Core System project was an ambitious technical initiative that was developed under the banner of the fledgling SIGGRAPH organization, and presented to the world at the SIGGRAPH 77 Conference.

Not only was Bert a pioneer in the world of graphics, particularly geometric modeling, but he was also an early advocate of computer networking. He directed the MERIT network, based at the University of Michigan, from 1969 to 1974. MERIT was so successful that it was subsequently awarded the NSFnet management contract, and the network was integrated with ARPANET.

Bertram Herzog will be remembered as a man of integrity, who conducted himself with style, grace and wit, and who had a passion for helping people. Many have recalled how he inspired them to enter the computer graphics field because of his enthusiastic teaching. Many others remember him as a great mentor and role model. The SIGGRAPH community deeply mourns the loss of one of their great leaders and will honor Bertram Herzog at the SIGGRAPH 2008 conference.

If you would like to share a story about Bertram Herzog, please email the Director for Communciations at: kathryn@siggraph.org