Sami Hassid passed away Dec. 17, 2009 at the age of 97; he was born in 1912 in Cairo, Egypt. He taught at the University of Cairo from 1934-1956, and at UC Berkeley from 1957-1980 and remained in administrative roles at Berkeley until 1983. Hassid graduated from the School of Engineering in Giza in 1932 and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from the University of London in 1935, a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Cairo in 1943, and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1956. One of the earliest recipients of a Ph.D. in the field, he guided Berkeley in developing its own leadership in this area, authoring numerous studies on research and advanced education in the field, some published in the JAE. During his time at UC Berkeley, he also served as Associate Dean of the College, Faculty Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Campus Planning, and Director of the Campus Planning Office; he received the University’s highest service award, the Berkeley Citation, in 1981.

Dr. Hassid’s research addressed architectural education, design evaluation, housing, and fire and life safety. He was principal investigator on projects sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of the Navy, the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, and the National Science Foundation. In 1966, he received the Building Research Institute Award for Service to the Building Industry.

Hassid was a partner in the firm of Sami Hassid and Youssef Shafik in Cairo; he continued his professional practice in Berkeley. Singly or in association with others he won a substantial number of prizes in local, national, and international competitions. Buildings he designed included an earlier, award-winning remodel for the headquarters of the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects, a student hostel for the American University in Cairo, schools, houses, apartment buildings, shops, offices, cooperative housing, and industrial complexes. Hassid’s designs were praised for their simplicity and elegance, and for economy in the choice and expression of materials.