It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of Professor Emeritus James Marshall Kelly in Berkeley on September 23, 2025, at the age of 90. Professor Kelly was probably the most influential figure in the development, design, and implementation of seismic protection technologies and is widely regarded as the Father of Seismic Isolation. Brilliant, wise, and generous, he earned the admiration of students, colleagues, and collaborators around the world.
Professor Kelly was born on May 25, 1935 in Motherwell, Scotland. After earning a B.Eng. with First Class Honors from the University of Glasgow in 1956, he continued his studies in the United States, receiving an M.S. from Brown University in 1959 and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1962. After completing his Ph.D., he remained at Stanford, first as a Teaching Fellow and later as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Engineering Mechanics. During his time at Stanford, his work focused on dynamic impact on beams, dislocation dynamics, and the development of high-speed cameras.
In 1965 he joined UC Berkeley and served on the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (then Civil Engineering) until 1995; as Professor in the Graduate School until 2004; and thereafter as Professor Emeritus. His early research at Berkeley focused on the strain-rate and yield-point behavior of steel, projectile impacts on plates and viscoelastic media, viscoplastic solids, and the mechanics of automobile barrier systems.
In the early 1970s he shifted his focus to earthquake engineering. While on sabbatical in New Zealand (1971–72), he developed the first energy-dissipating device used for the seismic protection of a structure—a large railway viaduct. Based on the yielding of mild steel, this device became the model for many subsequent applications of energy dissipation devices in bridges and buildings.
Professor Kelly led landmark experimental programs using the UC Berkeley shake table, pioneering seismic isolation and supplemental energy dissipation systems. Working with the Malaysian Rubber Producers Research Association, he developed high-damping rubber for seismic isolation bearings, leading to the Foothill Communities Law and Justice Center (1985) project, the first seismically isolated building in the United States and the first in the world to use high-damping rubber bearings. In parallel, he made lasting advances in the mechanics of rubber bearings that continue to shape modern practice. In the mid-1980s he played a key role in developing the “Yellow Book,” the first guidelines for the design of seismically isolated structures, which became the foundation for code provisions adopted internationally.
Concerned that high costs were limiting the adoption of seismic isolation worldwide, in the late 1990s he pioneered fiber-reinforced elastomeric isolators (FREIs), an affordable alternative to steel-reinforced bearings. This innovation inspired dozens of researchers across the globe to pursue FREIs and other low-cost device alternatives, establishing an enduring line of inquiry that continues to shape the field.
Professor Kelly consulted widely, shaping projects across Asia, Europe, and South America. He advised organizations including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Electric Power Research Institute, contributed to early U.S. damping applications such as viscous dampers for the Golden Gate Bridge and the retrofit of the Santa Clara County Civic Center after the Loma Prieta earthquake, and worked with the United Nations to advance isolation for housing in developing countries.
An outstanding teacher, he supervised more than 30 doctoral students who went on to leadership roles in academia and practice, and he mentored many postdoctoral and visiting scholars. In 1991 he introduced the first course on seismic isolation and energy dissipation, and he later taught seminars and short courses around the globe. His publications include nearly 400 papers and four books, among them Earthquake-Resistant Design with Rubber (1993; 2nd ed. 1997) and Mechanics of Rubber Bearings for Seismic and Vibration Isolation (2011, with Dimitrios Konstantinidis).
Among many honors, he received the George W. Housner Medal (2008) and the Distinguished Lecturer Award (2001) from the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, was elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (2001), and was inducted as an Honorary Member of the International Association for Earthquake Engineering (2017). Just days before his passing, he was honored at the 19th World Conference on Seismic Isolation at Berkeley, where his former student Ian Aiken announced the creation of the James M. Kelly Medal to recognize outstanding contributions in the field.
Beyond his towering influence, Professor Kelly was admired for his warmth, humor, and generosity. He inspired and delighted generations of students, collaborators, and colleagues, leaving an indelible mark not only on earthquake engineering but on all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Professor Kelly is survived by his daughter Maggi and her husband Brian, and by his grandchildren Shane and Alina, the children of his elder daughter, Shona. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 63 years, Celia (2023), and by Shona (2012).
Dimitrios Konstantinidis (September 27, 2025)
Click here to view the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center's tribute to Professor James M. Kelly.