December 2000
INFORMS News
Expository Writing Committee Agrees:
Little Has a Way With Words
Robert Fourer used John D.C. Little's own words in explaining how the INFORMS Expository Writing Award Committee decided to bestow its honor on the legendary MIT professor.
"To quote from John Little's paper, 'Managers and Models: The Concept of a Decision Calculus,' " Fourer told the audience at the INFORMS meeting in San Antonio, " 'Managers analyze problems on the basis of differences or changes in situations. Scientists look for similarities or common elements.' The Award Committee unanimously agrees that the similarities and common elements of John D.C. Little's technical writing, and its accessibility and appeal to the INFORMS readership, are deserving of recognition by receipt of this award."
The INFORMS Expository Writing Award recognizes a lifetime of achievement in writing in all areas of operations research and the management sciences.
"John D.C. Little has published articles of exemplary expositional character for over 35 years," Fourer said, reading from the citation. "He has a gift for explaining relatively complex topics in a understandable way, in areas ranging from marketing, queueing and optimization to management practice and the use of information technology.
"In over 60 papers ... sometimes in single-authored papers, often in collaboration with others, his attention to clarity and style in technical and motivation content is a standard for the profession."
Little was a man of few words in accepting the award. "One thing you learn from expository writing is to be brief when it's appropriate," he quipped. "So thank you."
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