Pictures of Bob Schommer (Robert A. Schommer) and friends
If you have pictures of Bob please send them to edo@as.arizona.edu (Ed Olszewski).

Last Update: October 10, 2007

Old Pictures, from Iris and Mark Phillips

Bob's parents, Harvey and Bea, c. 1950.

Bob and parents, c. 1950.

Bob.

Bob, Dad, and sister Linda.

From Bob's sister Linda:
"Bob on far right.

Starting on far left:
Den Schommer, same age as Bob born 5/17/46;
Marie Schommer, 12/3/?, now sister Carol;
her sister Gail Schommer, 10/2/46, now Gail Hethcoat

Gail and Carol are still in Chicago, Den is teaching in Texas"

Bob, 1960.-1961.

Bob, late 60's?

This is from Bob's college friend Sandy Liles
"Bob's University of Chicago graduation photo, 1970."
Don Brownlee fixed the image on the left to make the image on the right.

From Don Brownlee:
Hi Ed
Attached in an "end of the 60's" picture that I am sure that Bob
would have loved
- Don

From Quay Dortch:
Bob circa 1970. Taken at the University of Chicago about 1970, photographer unknown.

From Quay Dortch: Bob circa 1974, in Seattle.

From Amnon Schoenfeld:
Bob in Chicago, 1970.

From Amnon Shoenfeld:
Bob in Chicago, 1970.

Sent by Mark Karpel.
Bob (l) and Amnon Shoenfeld (r). Patty Forman (rear).
Does anyone know the date?
Looks like a Seattle beach?

Sent by Mark Karpel.
Bob and guitar. Does anyone know the date?

EdO comments: I was getting Bobo to copy some of his CDs to
CD for me, even though Bob had made me tapes of them. Not all that
long ago Bobo copied for me the Bob Marley retrospective, "Songs of Freedom."
I envision Bob singing one of the Marley solo acoustic songs here, though
he probably didn't know those songs then.

From David Luban:
Bob catching a frisbee, Chicago, behind Pierce Hall.
circa 1968 or 1969.

From David Luban:
Bob in Seattle, Summer 1972 or 1973

From David Luban:
Bob catching a frisbee, Chicago, behind Pierce Hall.
circa 1968 or 1969.

Sent by both Amnon Shoenfeld and Quay Dortch:
Bob circa 1981. Taken in Seattle , when Bob came back to Seattle for a visit and Ed Forman and
Patty Bennett-Forman had a brunch for some of his old friends.

From Amnon Shoenfeld, who writes:
"Ed,
Here are some photos from way back. I especially love the one of Bob holding a wine glass.
His smile could light up a room. I also love the really old ones when Bob wos a true wild man,
with hair like Dylan had on Blonde on Blonde."

From Amnon Shoenfeld:
Contact prints of Bob and friends, circa 1977.
EdO: Right column, second from top.
Bruce Applebaum, friend fron the 60s onward: middle
Patty Forman, friend from the 60s onward: Right column, top.

EdO remarks: I remember, with luck correctly, that this was
a party (in Seattle) at Bob's friends Ed and Patty Forman's
house. Bob Schommer took a lot of pictures at this party,
as did others. Bob presented EdO with some pictures
from his camera, which unfortunately are lost. Perhaps
Amnon and others can add comments about this
party. EdO originally wanted to blame it on Bob's
graduation, but EdO believes that Bob graduated on
almost exactly his 30th birthday; Bob would be about
31 here. EdO also thinks that he remembers that Bob
shaved off his goatee for the night of the graqduation
party. Wonder if pictures of the graduation party can be found.

Pictures from Linda of Bob at her wedding:

Schommer as a postdoc at Yerkes. Picture found by Ron Canterna in Italy.
Sent to Schommer by email, on Schommer's door at CTIO, scanned in by
Bob Blum.

Rich Kron provided EdO the following information about this photo:

"The photo was taken in the summer of 1981.

Right to left:

Robert Loewenstein - Research Associate
Rich Kron - faculty
Bob Schommer - postdoc
Kyle Cudworth - faculty
Bill Morgan - emeritus faculty
Dan Peterson - grad student
Antonio Bianchini - visitor from Padua
Harold Henning - UofC undergraduate
Arnab Rai Choudhuri - grad student
Judith Lola (now Bausch) - librarian and ApJ editor
Al Harper - faculty
Bill Glaccum - grad student

The most interesting story relates to Bianchini. He was Bob's guest, and
they had either just been to Wyoming to see Ron Canterna, or were on the way
there. Anyway, the three of them were mutual friends, and very likely you
know more about that than I. The Yerkes staff was charmed by Antonio's
visit, and I visited him at Padova on several occasions - all because of
Bob."

Nick found this in a folder in Bob's office about grad student
recruitment at Rutgers. Note the familiar Bob posture...
L-R: Bob, Nelson Caldwell and Ted Williams.
Nelson writes:
"The one of Bob, Ted & me is probably early summer 1982, judging from
the short sleeve shirts and my lack of a beard (I grew it back in
August of 1982). This is actually not entirely a staged photo, as we
had recently taken some Fabry-Perot images of the Sombrero galaxy and
in the photo we are looking at the Hubble atlas picture of it."

Bob, no date, early 80s?

From Woody Sullivan:
Hi, Ed:
Thanks for organizing the photo gallery, which is
simultaneously sad and happy. Attached is a snapshot I took on a hike
at Mt. Rainier in 1975. Besides Bob are his friend Quey and my wife
Barbara.
Cheers, Woody

Pictures from Patty and Ed Forman:

Picture from Ed and Patty Forman:
Bob and Quay Dortch Seattle 1974- on 17th Street where the "Hippie House" was located, just north of Univ. Washington

From Patty and Ed Forman:
Bob, Patty Forman and Ed Forman Thanksgiving 1976- Port Townsend, WA.

From Patty and Bob Forman:
Fall 1977 or Spring 1978- Golden Gardens park in Seattle. Ed Forman remarks
"Patty and I used another photo from that day for our wedding invitations."

From Patty and Ed Forman:
Bob and Sandy Liles (center), and Amnon Shoenfeld- 8/79-
Ed Forman remarks: "At Patty's and my house this was a dinner
we had when we returned from our European honeymoon"

From Ed and Patty Forman:
Bruce and Bob 6/80, Gasworks Park, Seattle, "someone's birthday party"

From Patty and Ed Forman:
Bob and Ed Forman, 10/87, Seabeck State Park. Ed is holding his son Danny.
Ed Forman remarks: "Danny is now [12/2001] 15 years old and 6 feet 2 inches."

From Gary daCosta:
Bob S and Howard Bond punting on the Cam in Cambridge in 1978

From Gary DaCosta:
Section of group photo at NATO Summer Conference on Globular
Clusters, Cambridge, UK, 1978. To the left of Bob is Flavio Fusi Pecci,
behind Bob is Horace Smith and next to Horace is Jim Hesser. Judy Cohen
is in the lower right. Can't recognize the rest...

From Gary DaCosta:
Section of group photo at IAU 126 meeting in Cambridge, Mass, in
1986. Bob was way at the back in this shot. On Bob's left is Don VandenBerg
and Jean Brodie. Maybe Huchra behind Brodie? I think also Sidney van den Bergh
is behind Bob.

From Gary DaCosta:
Section of group photo at IAU 148 in Sydney in 1990. Who said
he didn't wear ties... John Hutchings next to Bob, Nolan Walborn in lower
right, Doug Geisler in upper middle.

From Gary DaCosta:
Section of group photo at Santa Cruz meeting on Globular Cluster
systems in 1992 - back row include Richard Larson, Chris Sneden and I
think Raffele Gratton, middle is Tim de Zeeuw?, Bob and Ed Olszewski. In the front
Mike Rich, Doug Geisler and Mike West.

June 1982. Rutgers dept of Physics & Astronomy softball team. Bob is
in back row, second from left. Others are: Bob Stone (still at Rutgers)-
back row, 4th from left; Nelson Caldwell - back row, far right; Chris
Shrader (now at GSFC) - front row, 2nd from left.
From Nelson Caldwell.

From Nelson Caldwell:
"Sept 1988. Chuquicamata Copper mine in the Atacama Desert. Bob & I spent
a week travelling around up there."

Picture of the CTIO basketball team, from Chris Smith who writes:
"Tom (Geballe) spoke of basketball (at the NOAO memorial).
Here's a photo of the CTIO basketball team which participated in the
inter-Observatory Olympics from ~1997(?? I'm trying to track down the exact date),
courtesy of Hugo Ochoa (lower right).

Thanks to Lisa Wells for calling attention to her website of the
1990 rafting trip down the BioBio River in Chile. Here's one photograph
from that site with a particularly good picture of Bob.
L-R: Lisa Wells, Bill Weller, ?,?, Bob.

Please check out the other pictures at "http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/~lwells/biobio.html"

In 1988, Bob and EdO ended up in Santiago together. We stayed at the CTIO guesthouse,
and rented Senor Tocelli to tour Santiago. We went to the pre-Columbian museum
and saw the exhibit "Hombres del Sur." We went to the top of some big hill in Santiago
and sampled Chilean wines at a winery. We went to dinner at a restaurant in/near
the area of Providencia. I remember this meal for a variety of reasons: first, the waiter
spoke fluent English; second, I had "Congrio cheeks" for dinner; third, this restaurant
had "outside vendors" selling flowers from table to table, and had a person making
sketches/caricatures of the patrons. He made one of Bobo, who paid him and then
asked him to make this one. Somewhere in Bob's possessions must be the first
of these two caricatures.

Feb 19, 1992. Bob and Iris' wedding day.

From Nelson Caldwell:

This is Bob at a CTIO party in 1992. Bob is entertaining Doug Geisler and Tim Beers. Other notables in the picture are Sylvana Phillips, Chris Smith and Andrea
playing with the balloon

From Nick Suntzeff:

"Here is a photo of Tom Lutz and Bob Schommer, taken at a winter party
at Dan and Janet Smith's house, CTIO Recinto, Sept 1988.

Sadly, I had this photo set aside because I gave a talk in honor of Tom
after he had died."

From Paulina Lira, 1993 photo:
"In [this photo] Bob is observing (sleeping, really!).

From Paulina Lira, University of Chile:
Summer School training at CTIO, 1993.
Left (front to back), Mario Hamuy, Bob, Iris Schommer.
Right, Paulina Lira(?)

From Melanie Blackburn:
Bob Schommer and the 2000 REU (Research Experiences for Undergrads) students.

John Bright, Alex Bonacic, Ben Johnson (you can tell by the forehead),
Bob, Iris, Kevin McLin, Knut Olsen,Tanya Tavenner, George Wallerstein,
Eric Rubenstein

Hi,
I know it may be a little late, but I have a picture to contribute of Dr. Schommer "stuffing his face". It is with the REU students of 2000, the visible student next to him being his intern for the summer (2nd on the left, Dr. Schommer being the 3rd head, with I think his wife next to him), Axel Bonacic of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. I'm so sorry about the news, I just happened to look at the ctio website to get the last name of a friend. He was one of my favorite people there. My deepest regrets to his family and friends.
Melanie

The official NOAO picture of Bob.

June 13, 1996: Bob at Bobby's birth.
Picture from Iris.

Bobby's birth, June 13, 1996.

Picture from Iris.

Nick Suntzeff writes:
"Enclosed some portraits. [First] should be titled "Don't mess with me.
I am a cosmologist."

A recent pic of Bob, from Bob Blum. Bob played an excellent pirate at the
Halloween party. He was manning the water sponge throw -- as the target.

Bob about to get zorched by Julia Olszewski, 1992

Julia and Uncle Bob, 1991

Bob and Bobby, Christmas 1996, at Olszewski house.

Christmas 1996

Bob, Bobby and Iris, Christmas 1996

Julia Olszewski on Mom's lap in Tucson, during Bob's sabattical,
c. 1991.

Picture from Iris.

Bobby Schommer (Robert M. Schommer) and Megan Blum, c. 2000.

from Bob Blum
"Hi,
This is from Angelica and Jim Hughes, good friends and neighbors of the
Schommer's on the recinto. Robert can often be found playing with
Jimbito and Emily Ann, the Hughes' kids. Its Halloween, 1997.
-Bob"

From Sally Adams:
Bob often emailed Sally Adams, the US Gemini project secretary in Tucson, before meeting her.
He sent her this picture to show her what he looked like. Scanned from a hardcopy on her door.

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
Bob in Vicun~a Sept 2001, a diecioho (September 18) party.

Ed, here is a good picture of Bob, M-Iris, Andrea and little Robert,
along with Patrice Bouchet, my wife Angelica Olmedo and my son Jimbito Hughes

This was taken at the CTIO Christmas party December 1999, the 18th
I believe

cheers during this season of sadness...

James Babcock Hughes

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
Andrea, Little Robert, Florencia, and Paulina, La Serena 2001.

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
Paulina, Andrea, Robert, and Bob, Parque Nacional Fray
Jorge, Chile, Sept 2001.

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
Bob and family at an Inaugaracion de exposicion de pintura
de Iris, Feb 2001 (Terry Ann Maxwell far left, Angelica Olmedo next to
Andrea, friends and recinto neighbors).

From Patty and Ed Forman:
The two Bob Schommers, 11/99, Ivar's Salmon House, Lake Union, Seattle.
Ed Forman remarks: "The last time we saw Bob."

From Iris.

Bob and the girls in Paris.
Picture from Iris.

Smooching in Paris.
Picture from Iris.

Bob and the girls in Paris.
Picture from Iris.

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
Andrea and Robert with a friend, La Serena 2001.

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
Little Robert at 2 yrs.

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
The whole family at Robert's jardin infantil in La Serena.

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
Bob and Iris, Hilton Hotel, Kona, Hawai'i 2001.

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
Bob, Iris, and little Robert, Hilton Hotel, Kona, Hawai'i
February 2001.

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
Bob and Iris, Hilton Hotel, Kona, Hawai'i 2001.

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
Robert, Iris, and Bob at the Hilton in Kona, Feb 2001.

From Iris, scanned by Bob Blum:
The girls and Robert. Akaka Falls, Hawai'i. Feb 2001.

From Iris:

"This is a picture taken on Dec 1, 2001 at the wedding of a daughter of a cousin in Santiago.
Mama, the boss and Paulina."

Nick Suntzeff and Bob Schommer 1989, in front of the Suntzeff
house. Bob was here on sabbatical, living in the Phillips house on
the Recinto (now the Lambert house).
Picture from Nick Suntzeff.

A too close up of Bob at his 1989 despedida (going away party).
Picture from Nick Suntzeff.

Despedida (going away party) of the Smiths.
Bob, Adam Smith (back to us), Dan,Talyor, and Janet Smith. 1997.

Picture from Nick Schommer.

Despedida (going away party) of Dan and Janet Smith, and the Filhabers. 1997.
Picture from Nick Suntzeff.

Another picture of Bob at his despedida (going away party) at Suntzeff house. 1989
Picture from Nick Suntzeff.

Nick Suntzeff and Bob Schommer 1989, in front of the Suntzeff
house. Bob was here on sabbatical, living in the Phillips house on
the Recinto (now the Lambert house).

Picture from Nick Suntzeff.

Despidida (going away party) of Manuel Lazo 1997.
Picture from Nick Suntzeff.

Despedida (going away party) for Bob at the Suntzeff house.
Left to right (Julie Lutz, Oswaldo (cook), Steve Heathcote, Tom
Ingerson, Bob Schommer, Juanita Munoz, Tom Lutz, Darren DePoy, Don
Terndrup, Roger Smith, and Margie Smith (just her hair)). 1989

Picture from Nick Suntzeff.

Bob and Bob Jr Schommer at the International School at the end of the school year. 2001.
Picture from Nick Suntzeff.

July 17, 2007: Robert accepts part of the Gruber Cosmology Prize on behalf of his father. Picture from Iris.