Background
Bastian, Bruce Wayne was born on March 23, 1948 in Twin Falls, Idaho, United States. Son of Arlon Lewis and Una (Davis) Bastian.
Bastian, Bruce Wayne was born on March 23, 1948 in Twin Falls, Idaho, United States. Son of Arlon Lewis and Una (Davis) Bastian.
While enrolled as a student at, where he originally majored in music and was for a time the director of the Brigham Young University Cougar Marching Band, he developed a software program to help choreograph marching band performances, with the help of an instructor, Alan Ashton. When he lost his position with the marching band it was suggested that he get his Master"s Degree in computer science rather than in music
He co-founded the WordPerfect Software Company with Alan Ashton in 1978 (originally known as Satellite Software International (Supplemental Security Income) and then changed to WordPerfect Corporation in 1982). When that company stopped because of inadequate funding, Bastian took a job with the Eyring Research Institute (ERI). At ERI, Bastian briefly worked on a language translation program (unrelated to WordPerfect).
Within a few months of his employment at ERI, ERI signed a contract with Orem City to produce a word processor for the city"s new DEC PDP-11/34 mini computer.
Since Bastian was the only employee at ERI who had any development experience with word processing, ERI contracted with Bastian and Ashton to develop what would become WordPerfect. Originally the word processor was written in DEC Assembler Language.
lieutenant was later ported to the International Business Machines Corporation Personal Computer. At one time Bastian"s Netto worth was estimated at $1.4 billion, earning him a place on the Forbes list of the 500 wealthiest people in America. Bastian has always been a major donor to Utah"s cultural arts
Among these is the Bastian Foundation Diversity Lecture Series at Westminster College, Salt Lake City.
Somewhere along the way, “philanthropy transitioned to activism”. Bastian contributed half of the Don"t Amend Alliance"s budget for fighting Utah"s constitutional amendment defining marriage as between only a man and a woman. (The amendment passed in 2004) On July 26, 2008 at the San Francisco Human Rights Campaign dinner, Bastian announced he was donating $1 million to HRC, designated to fight California Proposition 8 (2008), which eliminated same-sex marriage in California.
He was the first individual to pledge such a large amount to fight the proposition.
He was also the first major donor to the National Equality March. In 2010, in honor of Bastian"s long term commitment to the arts, President Obama appointed him to the Presidential Advisory Committee of the Arts.
He is a member of the board of directors of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the United States."s largest Gay and Lesbian political action committee, and was grand marshal of the Utah Pride Festival"s parade in 2004.
Married Melanie Laycock, April 17, 1976. Children: C. Richard, Darren B., Jeffrey H., Robert A.