Operations Research 50th Anniversary

<BODY bgcolor="#ffffff" link="cc0000" vlink="cc0000" text="#000000"> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=4 border=0><br>   <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=480><tr valign=top> <td width=10><img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 hspace=4 border=0></td> <td width=470> <FONT face="verdana, arial, helvetica" SIZE=2><B><I><A HREF="../../ORMS.shtml" TARGET="_top">OR/MS Today</A> - October 2002</I></B></font><BR> <hr size="1"> <img src="cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=4 border=0><br> <font face="times new roman, times"> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=4 border=0><br> <FONT face="verdana, arial, helvetica" SIZE=2><B>Operations Research 50th Anniversary</B></FONT><br> <IMG SRC="../barbluehook.gif" WIDTH="468" HEIGHT="4"><br> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=8 border=0><br> <IMG SRC="art/50th-logo-Tall.jpg" WIDTH="90" HEIGHT="216" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="0" ALIGN="Left" BORDER="1" ALT=" "> <FONT SIZE="+1"><I>Side Story:</I></FONT><BR> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=2 border=0><br> <FONT SIZE="+2"><B>Milestone Manifesto</B></FONT><BR> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=6 border=0><br> <FONT face="verdana, arial, helvetica" SIZE=2><B>By Andrew Vazsonyi</B></FONT><br> <hr size="1"> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=12 border=0><br>    From my point of view, Phil Morse and his disciples seemed too far removed from the day-to-day world of American business. A sense of academic hubris pervaded the early ORSA sessions. Because many of the speakers lacked practical business know-how or an understanding of using computers in management, the ORSA meetings became less informative and more frustrating for me. I started to look elsewhere. I encountered economists and management gurus, and I thought they needed an organization different from ORSA. So in August 1953, I drafted the following manifesto jointly with my new friends: <IMG SRC="art/Vazsonyi_Px.jpg" WIDTH="198" HEIGHT="154" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="6" ALIGN="Right" BORDER="1" ALT=" "> <BLOCKQUOTE><I>During the last two decades, and in particular, since World War II, the problems of modern management have increased in scope and complexity. A need now exists for systematic research which can evolve new and effective instruments for dealing with these problems. During the same period, a growing number of workers have produced a considerable amount of research in this field. A characteristic feature of this work is the attempt to deal with managerial problems by means of mathematical models. Exploiting advances in pure sciences and technology, these workers established foundations upon which a structure of management sciences may be erected.<BR> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=6 border=0><br> Correspondence and communication between interested persons has made it increasingly apparent that a stage has now been reached which makes it desirable to consider founding an organization dedicated to encouraging and extending this type of work. Such an organization would, if successful, (1) establish this type of work as a field of scientific endeavor, (2) stimulate work in the field, and (3) publish a journal, convoke meetings, and adopt other suitable means of making the fruits of this work available to all interested persons.</I></BLOCKQUOTE> The event was a milestone in my life. The announcement was signed by 18 people, some of whom went on to become Nobel Laureates, and led to the founding of The Institute of Management Sciences (TIMS). (On a personal level, the experience allowed me to become acquainted with Herbert Simon, a signatory and future Nobel Prize recipient, who would later become one of my genuine heroes in the decision sciences field for his general administrative theory, the concept of satisficing and the Subjective Expected Utility hypothesis.)<BR> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=6 border=0><br> During our first organizing meeting, I received a rather dubious distinction. We were at Columbia University, attending to all routine matters that go with starting a new professional organization. But we hit a snag when it came to electing officers. According to the constitution, the retiring president became the senior executive of the Institute  the chairman of the council. Bill Cooper was president elect; however, we didn't have a past president to chair the council.<BR> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=6 border=0><br> Somebody had the smart idea of abolishing the Institute, then revising the constitution and starting a new organization. But it took a two-thirds majority to abolish the Institute, and we didn't have a quorum. In desperation, we went for a coffee break. Then somebody had a brilliant idea  "Let's elect Andy to the position of past president."<BR> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=6 border=0><br> That's how I became the first and only past president of The Institute of Management Sciences who never held the office of president. At the first annual conference of TIMS, I opened the meeting and introduced the new president, Bill Cooper, assuring members that he would be continuing my policies. Following that, I assumed the role of the top executive of the Institute and sat back to rest on my fictional laurels.<BR> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=6 border=0><br> As for my legacy as chairperson for the first year, West C. Churchman, our in-house philosopher and journal editor, reportedly said, "When the going gets tough, Andy pulls a flask of brandy out of his pocket, takes a good slug and resolves the issue promptly."<BR> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=4 border=0><br> <IMG SRC="../barbluehook.gif" WIDTH="468" HEIGHT="4"><br> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=2 border=0><br> <FONT face="verdana, arial, helvetica" SIZE=2><I>An internationally recognized researcher, educator and author, the 85-year-old <B>Andrew Vazsonyi</B> has written 70 technical papers, seven textbooks and countless articles, most of them aimed at improving the world through better decision-making. His Web site (<A HREF="http://reallifemath.com" TARGET="_new">reallifemath.com</A>) aims to "to unlock the mystery of mathematics to the non-mathematical mind."</i><BR> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=6 border=0><br> <IMG SRC="../barbluehook.gif" WIDTH="468" HEIGHT="4"><br> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=2 border=0><br> <FONT face="verdana, arial, helvetica" SIZE=2> Return to the main story: <I><A HREF="frhistory.html" TARGET="_top">History in the Making</A></I></FONT><br>  <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=5 border=0><br>  <img src="../barblue.gif" width=468 height=1 border=0 alt=" "><br> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=8 border=0><br> <font face="verdana, arial, helvetica" size="1"> <CENTER><script type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script></CENTER><br> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=8 border=0><br> <LI> <A HREF="tocfr.html" Target="_top"><I>Table of Contents</I></A><br> <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=4 border=0><br> <LI> <A HREF="../../ORMS.shtml" TARGET="_top"><I>OR/MS Today</I> Home Page</A><br>  <img src="../cleardot.gif" width=1 height=1 vspace=8 border=0><br> <img src="../barblue.gif" width=468 height=1 border=0 alt=" "><br> <b><i>OR/MS Today</i></b> copyright © 2002 by <A HREF="http://www.informs.org/" target="_new">the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences</a>. 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