Bayard Rankin

Bayard Hughes Rankin, often referred to as Sam, passed away Sunday, after a long and difficult struggle with Leukemia. The kind and gentle Sam was often seen out walking in his adopted home of Circleville Ohio. He began his eighty eight year journey in 1924 in Salt Lake City Utah. His father John R. Rankin, early in his life, moved the family to Palo Alto California, where Sam grew up and began his study of mathematics. He was a truly unique and fascinating individual who had lived through the great depression, attended several universities and finally received his PHD from Berkley in the field of probability. During World War II he assisted in the Manhattan project and helped to develop the hydrogen bomb. He taught at MIT and Case Institute, and was one of the editors for the Encyclopedia Britannica. Beyond writing several articles for the Encyclopedia, he is the original inventor of six United States Patents, including one for a Random Number Generator. He is survived by his two sons Chris and John, and his grandchildren Katherine and James. A memorial service will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday December 28, 2012 at Circleville Presbyterian Church 134 E. Mound St. Circleville, OH 43113. Arrangements were completed by Wellman Funeral Home.