DR. JOHN BRADBURY BRYANT
1947-2020
DR. JOHN BRADBURY BRYANT
Known for his humility, humanity, thoughtful conversation and acclaimed internationally for his advanced work in the field of economics, Dr. John Bradbury Bryant passed away at the age of 72 on April 2, 2020.
Born in Washington, D.C. on July 7, 1947 to Royal Calvin Bryant and Martha Prebble Jones Bryant, John was quickly recognized as an astute young man with penetrating insight. He was raised in Arlington, VA and attended Oberlin College from 1965-69, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in economics. He received his MS and PhD degrees in economics from Carnegie Mellon University in 1975.
John met his lifelong love and companion, Sandi Seltzer during their Carnegie Mellon days. Married for 46 years, they shared a passion for all things beautiful: art, symphony, opera, travel. Sandi has a career as an accomplished artist; John appreciated art, especially hers. Their daughter, Aryn, was born in 1978 and occupied the very center of John’s life. Aryn loves her dad equally intensely and is justifiably proud of his accomplishments.
John and Sandi moved to Washington, D.C. in 1974, as John took the position of economist and inventories expert at the US Federal Reserve Bank. In 1977, they moved to Minneapolis where John directed his research as a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minnesota. During the next three years of enormous productivity, John wrote many seminal papers on game theory and macroeconomics. He returned to academia as a visiting professor at the University of Florida-Gainesville in 1980.
John arrived with much fanfare at Rice University in 1981, at age 36, with tenure as Chair of the Henry S.
Fox Associate Professor of Economics and Professor of Management and was promoted to full professor only four years later. Throughout his ensuing thirty-five year career at Rice, John developed complex theories on financial fragility, monetary policy, and game theory. His collaboration with multiple Nobel laureates, publications in numerous prestigious journals and gift for teaching, informed and redirected thinking among the most notable scholars in his field. At John’s retirement from Rice, Nobel laureates and
professors from around the world expressed their admiration for his contributions to their discipline. Given his humble nature, it should come as no surprise that John was most proud of his relationship with his students. He loved to teach, avidly attended Rice football games (while sometimes reading a book) and mentored so many budding economists.
John and Sandi went on sabbaticals to Stanford University, where John was a visiting scholar at the Hoover Institute in 1988-89, as well as at the University of Tilburg, Netherlands in 1998-99.
Above all the flurry of his academic intellectual pursuits, John was a soft and gentle spirit. His love for Sandi and Aryn was deep and sincere. Rarely the loudest voice in the room, but often the most profound, he was even more gifted as a companion and friend to so many. During time with friends, John never spoke about his work unless probed. And typically, once urged to discuss his theories, most in the room failed to grasp the complexity of it.
John was a voracious reader, loved his coffee and appreciated the outdoors. He enjoyed sailing and running in his younger days and hiked until recently. John and Sandi traveled to all of the usual, and many of the unusual, places; they always managed to return with a story about their far-flung adventures. Whether a visit to Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Turkey, or negotiating a surprise wadi flood in the middle of the night in Morocco, the two absorbed all that life had to offer.
John waged a heroic battle against Parkinson’s Disease with Lewy body dementia, a tragic illness that destroyed a brilliant mind, a subtle wit, and a sensitive personality.
John is survived by his wife, Sandi Seltzer Bryant, daughter Aryn Royale Bryant, son-in-law Shaun McClintock (considered a son) and older brothers William P. Bryant of Gary, Indiana and David Bryant of Marseilles, France.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the nurses and staff at Silverado Memory Care of Hermann Park, especially Gail Hutchinson and JoDean Anderson.
Hailea Whitlock at Silverado provided unmatched social work, friendship, and advocacy for John for which the family could not be more grateful for. Thanks to Hospice of Silverado North’s Shanan Fyfe and Shun White for their tremendous grace and compassion and to Kathleen Crist of HAPS for her support.
Finally, they wish to thank John’s care givers Wendy Belt and Vic Berry of Majestic Staffing.
In light of the current pandemic, graveside services at Beth Israel Memorial Garden Cemetery will be limited to immediate family members. A memorial service will be planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, please honor Dr. Bryant’s memory by supporting the fine, creative, literary arts and having an outstanding (but economical) cappuccino.
May Dr. Bryant’s memory be for a blessing