Harry Bolton Seed (August 19, 1922 – April 23, 1989) was an educator, scholar, former professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

His father was Arthur Bolton Seed, and his mother's maiden name was Annie Wood; his sister Dorothy was nine years older than he was.

He spent his childhood in Lancashire and attended Farnworth Grammar School, where he exhibited talent both at sports and academics.

Following two years as assistant lecturer at King's College, Seed came to Harvard University to study soil mechanics under the tutelage of engineering giants Karl Terzaghi and Arthur Casagrande.

[3] In 1950 Seed joined the civil engineering faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, where he finished his career as an educator, researcher and consultant to public agencies and private businesses.

His early research on pile-soil interaction, soil compaction and pavement formed the scientific basis for modern design.