1Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Alfred
2Bester, renowned science fiction author, on December 18,
32013.

4WHEREAS, Alfred Bester was born on December 18, 1913, in the
5Borough of Manhattan, New York City; and

6WHEREAS, Alfred Bester was a first-generation American whose
7hardworking parents provided a modest home for their two
8children; and

9WHEREAS, Alfred Bester attended the University of
10Pennsylvania, where he became a member of the prestigious
11Philomathean Society, which is one of the oldest literary
12societies in America, and he graduated in 1935 with a degree in
13the humanities and psychology; and

14WHEREAS, Alfred Bester went on to undertake further studies
15in law at Columbia University and protozoology at New York
16University, although he did not complete a postgraduate degree
17at either school; and

1WHEREAS, In 1936, Alfred "Alfie" Bester married Rolly Goulko,
2an actress who achieved success on Broadway and in radio and
3television and who became an accomplished advertising executive
4later in her career; and

5WHEREAS, At 25 years of age and after moving on from his
6university studies, Alfred Bester began working in the field of
7public relations; and

8WHEREAS, In 1939, Alfred Bester entered an amateur writing
9competition sponsored by Thrilling Wonder Stories magazine with
10his short story, The Broken Axiom, which became the winning
11entry; and

12WHEREAS, Alfred Bester's distinguished writing and editing
13career spanned the years between 1939 and 1981; and

14WHEREAS, Alfred Bester was a well-respected and prolific
15writer of science fiction novels, short stories, comic books and
16strips and scripts for television and radio; and

17WHEREAS, Among Alfred Bester's classic science fiction novels
18are The Demolished Man, published in 1952, and The Stars My 
19Destination, published in 1956, which are considered to be among
20the best science fiction novels ever written; and

21WHEREAS, In 1953, the very first Hugo Award, which is science
22fiction's most prestigious award, was given to Alfred Bester for
23his first novel, The Demolished Man, and in subsequent years he
24was nominated for four additional Hugo Awards; and

25WHEREAS, Alfred Bester and his wife moved to Ottsville,
26Pennsylvania, in the early 1980s and he later died at nearby
27Doylestown on September 30, 1987, at 73 years of age, his wife
28having preceded him in death in 1984; and

29 WHEREAS, Not long before his passing, Alfred Bester was
30informed that the Science Fiction Writers of America planned to

1give him its ninth Memorial Grand Master Award, which was
2presented posthumously in 1988; and

3WHEREAS, In 2001, Alfred Bester was inducted into the Science
4Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame; and

5 WHEREAS, Alfred Bester is considered by science fiction
6aficionados to be among several highly regarded writers in the
7genre who helped to invent modern science fiction; therefore be
8it

9RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commemorate the
10100th anniversary of the birth of renowned science fiction
11author Alfred Bester.