The Bold Award was established in 1973 to honor Harold C. Bold, a Charter Member of the Society, and its President in 1955-56. Dr. Bold was born in New York City June 16, 1909, his grandparents having emigrated from Germany and Switzerland. His decision to pursue botany happened when he was an undergraduate at Columbia University and was influenced by such professors as Tracy Hazen and R. A. Harper. On earning his Bachelor's degree in 1929 he became an Instructor in Botany at the University of Vermont. Studying the coccoid green alga Chlorococcum, he obtained a Masters degree from Vermont in 1931. He returned to Columbia as a Ph.D. student, carrying out his research on the green alga Protosiphon. On receiving the Ph. D. in 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, he sent out more than 100 job enquiries and received back two job offers, including an offer of an Instructorship in Biology from Vanderbilt University (with a starting salary of $1,800 per year as he enjoyed pointing out in later years). Bold felt himself fortunate, accepted the offer and was at Vanderbilt through the 1930's. It was in Nashville that he met and married Mary Douthit, a music student from Sweetwater, Texas. Over the years the Bolds enjoyed playing duets on their pair of Steinway pianos in their home. On Hazen's retirement, Bold returned to Columbia to become Visiting Lecturer and then Assistant Professor of Botany at Barnard College. From 1942-45 he entered active service with the U.S. Naval Reserve. After the war he returned to Vanderbilt University, eventually being promoted to Professor.  In 1957 Harold and Mary moved to Texas where he became Professor of Botany at the University of Texas in Austin until his official retirement in 1978. During these years at Texas he was Chair of the Department of Botany (1962-67). He was always generous with his time, serving in various offices of professional societies, including President of the Botanical Society of America as well as Editor of  The American Journal of Botany for many years. Over his career at Vanderbilt and Texas he served as the major advisor to 10 Masters students and 43 Ph.D. students. His major contributions to phycology include his papers on methods of algal cultivation and the use of such studies on soil algae. With his students he co-authored a dozen "Phycological Studies" (published by the University of Texas) in the period 1960-1974. He also co-authored textbooks on algae (two editions) and on the morphology of plants (5 editions). He was elected to membership in the National Academy of Sciences. He passed away in December, 1987.