Richard Nelson Bolles facts for kids

Richard Nelson Bolles (born March 19, 1927, died March 31, 2017) was a special kind of church leader called an Episcopal clergyman. He is most famous for writing a super popular book about finding a job. The book is called What Color is Your Parachute? It has helped millions of people find their dream jobs.

Richard Bolles' Early Life

Richard Bolles was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He had a brother named Don Bolles, who was a journalist, and a sister named Ann. His grandfather, Stephen Bolles, was a member of the U.S. Congress. Richard's father worked as an editor for the Associated Press news agency for many years.

Richard grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey. He finished high school there in 1945. After high school, he briefly served in the United States Navy. He then went to college at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study chemical engineering.

He later attended Harvard University, where he focused on physics. He graduated from Harvard with honors. Richard also studied at the General Theological Seminary in New York City. There, he earned a master's degree in New Testament studies.

Richard Bolles' Career and Books

After becoming a clergyman in 1953, Bolles worked at the Seminary. He then served in churches in New Jersey as a rector, which is a main priest. Later, he worked at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. He also spent time working with United Ministries in Higher Education.

Richard Bolles traveled a lot, giving talks and leading workshops across the United States. He helped many people learn how to look for jobs. Every year, he updated his famous book, What Color is Your Parachute?, which first came out in 1970.

He also wrote other books, sometimes with co-authors. These included Howard Figler, Carol Christen, and Dale Brown. One of his sons, Mark Bolles, also helped him write books. Mark was the main author of their book called Job Hunting on the Internet. Richard Bolles was also a member of Mensa, a group for people with very high IQs.

Richard Bolles' Personal Life

Richard Bolles passed away in Danville, California, when he was 90 years old. He was survived by his fourth wife, Marciana Garcia Mendoza Navarrete, and his three children.

Honors and Achievements

In 2006, Richard Bolles received the National Samaritan award. This award is given to people who have made a big difference. Other famous people who received this award include Peter Drucker and Norman Vincent Peale.

In 1996, the Library of Congress recognized his book, What Color is Your Parachute?. They named it one of 25 books that have greatly impacted readers' lives. The book first appeared on The New York Times best-seller list in 1979. It stayed on that list for more than ten years, showing how popular and helpful it was.