C. West Churchman

TIMS President, 1962

A founding member of TIMS, C. West Churchman served as its ninth president. He was the first editor-in-chief of Management Science in 1954. He is internationally known for his pioneering work in operations research and system analysis.

After completing his doctorate in philosophy, Dr. Churchman started his professional career at University of Pennsylvania as a philosophy instructor from 1937 to 1942. He returned to his alma mater after World War II as an assistant professor in philosophy. During 1951-1957, he was professor of engineering and operations research at Case Western Reserve. In 1957, Dr. Churchman joined the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley and remained there until his retirement.

Dr. Churchman authored several widely known books. His text Introduction to Operations Research, co-authored with Russell Ackoff and Leonard Arnoff, was published in 1957. The first part of this landmark text defined the methodology of the systems approach. His other works include Prediction and Optimal Decision (1961), The Systems Approach (1968), and The Challenge to Reason (1968).

His honors include the Academy of Management’s Best Book in Management Award and the McKinsey Book Award, both in 1968. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. During 1946-1954, he served as the secretary and program chairman of the American Philosophy of Science Association. He edited the journal Philosophy of Science for a long period beginning in 1948. Dr. Churchman was born in Philadelphia on August 29, 1913.

Dr. Churchman died in 2004.

 BA, 1935, MA, 1936, and PhD 1938 (Philosophy), U. of Pennsylvania

C. West Churchman's Awards