Ralph E. Gomory
Encyclopedia
Ralph Edward Gomory is an American
applied mathematician
and executive. Gomory worked at IBM
as a researcher and later as an executive. During that time, his research led to the creation of new areas of applied mathematics.
After his career in the corporate world, Gomory became the president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, where he oversaw programs dedicated to broadening public understanding in three key areas: the economic importance of science and research; the effects of globalization on the United States; and the role of technology in education.
Gomory has written extensively on the nature of technology development, industrial competitiveness, models of international trade, and the function of the corporation in a globalizing world.
from Williams College
in 1950, studied at Cambridge University, and received his Ph.D.
in mathematics from Princeton University
in 1954.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1954 to 1957. While serving in the Navy, he shifted his focus to applied mathematics in operations research
. Among his mathematical achievements were founding contributions to the field of integer programming
, an active area of research to this day. He was Higgins lecturer and assistant professor at Princeton University, 1957-59. He joined the Research Division of IBM in 1959. There, while continuing his significant mathematical work, he also launched a career that helped to establish that company as one of the major research institutions in the world. After eleven years at IBM, he was named director of research and immediately began leading the company in the development of some of the world's most exciting new products and technologies. He continued to play a leadership role for 20 years, eventually being promoted to the position of IBM senior vice president for Science and Technology.
Gomory was able to develop the very best and brightest minds – IBM researchers were awarded two Nobel Prizes in physics on his watch. He and his staff are credited with many fundamental contributions to advanced technology in such areas as the single-transistor memory cell, high-density storage devices, silicon processing methods, and relational database theory.
After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 for corporate officers at IBM, Gomory became president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
in 1989.
During his tenure as president he led the foundation’s effort to sponsor research in numerous fields relevant to major national issues. The foundation’s pioneering work in the field of online learning predated the public Internet; its continued support has resulted in more than three million people taking online courses for credit. The foundation started the now-widespread program of industry studies, and launched a major program advocating a more flexible workplace. It developed a novel and successful approach to overcoming the problem of underrepresented minority Ph.D.’s in scientific and technical fields. The foundation was early in perceiving the threat of bioterrorism and was active in that area for years before the events of 9/11. Among scientific achievements, the foundation supported the widely recognized Sloan Digital Sky Survey
, which has made major contributions to the problem of dark energy, and initiated a major worldwide effort to survey life in the oceans known as the Census of Marine Life
. Under Gomory's leadership the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation also supported highly successful programs on public understanding of science and the development of a innovative graduate degree,the Professional Science Masters, designed to allow students to pursue advanced training in science or mathematics while simultaneously developing workplace skills valued by employers.
In December 2007, after 18 years as President of the Sloan Foundation, Gomory became president emeritus and joined the Stern School of Business
at New York University
as a research professor,
An unassuming man, Gomory does not shy away from embracing controversy or tackling tough issues, either in his role as foundation president or in his personal economic research.
Currently he focuses his work on addressing the increasing complexities of the globalized economy and the differing goals of countries and companies. His 2001 book, co-written with Professor William Baumol, Global Trade and Conflicting National Interests, has contributed to shaping the national argument on the roles and responsibilities of American corporations in the modern American economy.
Gomory currently blogs at The Huffington Post
and his work has been profiled in The Nation
and The Wall Street Journal
.
Other Activities:
Gomory has been a trustee of Hampshire College
and of Princeton University. He has been a director of a number of corporations including The Washington Post Company and the Bank of New York
. He is currently a director of Lexmark International, Inc.
, and of a small start-up company. He was named one of America's ten best directors by Director's Alert magazine in 2000. He has testified on various occasions to congressional committees.
He is a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences
, the National Academy of Engineering
, and the American Philosophical Society
. He was elected to the governing councils of all three organizations. He is also a fellow of the Econometric Society
.
Gomory served for many years on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and on the National Research Council
(NRC) Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy
(COSEPUP). He is currently a member of the NRC Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy
(STEP).
Awards: Lanchester Prize of the Operations Research Society, 1963; Harry Goode Memorial Award of the American Federation of Information Processing Societies, 1984; John von Neumann Theory Prize of INFORMS, 1984; Medal of the Industrial Research Society, 1985; National Medal of Science, 1988; IEEE Engineering Leadership Recognition Award, 1988; Arthur M. Bueche Award of the National Academy of Engineering, 1993; the 4th Annual Heinz Award
for Technology, the Economy and Employment, 1998; Madison Medal of Princeton University, 1999; Sheffield Fellowship Award of the Yale University Faculty of Engineering, 2000; International Federation of Operational Research Societies’ Hall of Fame, 2005; Harold Larnder Prize of the Canadian Operational Research Society, 2006.
Additionally, three awards have been established in Gomory's honor:
The Ralph Gomory Prize of the Business History Conference (made possible by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation) recognizes historical work on the effect business enterprises have on the economic conditions of a country in which they operate. Two prizes of $5,000 are awarded annually, one for a book and second for an article.
The National Academy of Science's Award for the Industrial Application of Science, established by the IBM Corporation in honor of Ralph E. Gomory, is awarded triennially for original scientific work of intrinsic scientific importance and with significant, beneficial applications in industry.
The Ralph E. Gomory Award for Quality Online Education is presented annually by the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) to an institution demonstrating commitment to assessing and improving the quality of its online education programs.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
applied mathematician
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
and executive. Gomory worked at IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
as a researcher and later as an executive. During that time, his research led to the creation of new areas of applied mathematics.
After his career in the corporate world, Gomory became the president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, where he oversaw programs dedicated to broadening public understanding in three key areas: the economic importance of science and research; the effects of globalization on the United States; and the role of technology in education.
Gomory has written extensively on the nature of technology development, industrial competitiveness, models of international trade, and the function of the corporation in a globalizing world.
Biography
Gomory is the son of Andrew L. Gomory and Marian Schellenberg. He received his B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
in 1950, studied at Cambridge University, and received his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in mathematics from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1954.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1954 to 1957. While serving in the Navy, he shifted his focus to applied mathematics in operations research
Operations research
Operations research is an interdisciplinary mathematical science that focuses on the effective use of technology by organizations...
. Among his mathematical achievements were founding contributions to the field of integer programming
Integer programming
An integer programming problem is a mathematical optimization or feasibility program in which some or all of the variables are restricted to be integers. In many settings the term refers to integer linear programming, which is also known as mixed integer programming.Integer programming is NP-hard...
, an active area of research to this day. He was Higgins lecturer and assistant professor at Princeton University, 1957-59. He joined the Research Division of IBM in 1959. There, while continuing his significant mathematical work, he also launched a career that helped to establish that company as one of the major research institutions in the world. After eleven years at IBM, he was named director of research and immediately began leading the company in the development of some of the world's most exciting new products and technologies. He continued to play a leadership role for 20 years, eventually being promoted to the position of IBM senior vice president for Science and Technology.
Gomory was able to develop the very best and brightest minds – IBM researchers were awarded two Nobel Prizes in physics on his watch. He and his staff are credited with many fundamental contributions to advanced technology in such areas as the single-transistor memory cell, high-density storage devices, silicon processing methods, and relational database theory.
After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 for corporate officers at IBM, Gomory became president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a philanthropic non-profit organization in the United States. It was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., then-President and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors.-Overview:...
in 1989.
During his tenure as president he led the foundation’s effort to sponsor research in numerous fields relevant to major national issues. The foundation’s pioneering work in the field of online learning predated the public Internet; its continued support has resulted in more than three million people taking online courses for credit. The foundation started the now-widespread program of industry studies, and launched a major program advocating a more flexible workplace. It developed a novel and successful approach to overcoming the problem of underrepresented minority Ph.D.’s in scientific and technical fields. The foundation was early in perceiving the threat of bioterrorism and was active in that area for years before the events of 9/11. Among scientific achievements, the foundation supported the widely recognized Sloan Digital Sky Survey
Sloan Digital Sky Survey
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey or SDSS is a major multi-filter imaging and spectroscopic redshift survey using a dedicated 2.5-m wide-angle optical telescope at Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico, United States. The project was named after the Alfred P...
, which has made major contributions to the problem of dark energy, and initiated a major worldwide effort to survey life in the oceans known as the Census of Marine Life
Census of Marine Life
The Census of Marine Life was a global network of researchers in more than 80 nations engaged in a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans...
. Under Gomory's leadership the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation also supported highly successful programs on public understanding of science and the development of a innovative graduate degree,the Professional Science Masters, designed to allow students to pursue advanced training in science or mathematics while simultaneously developing workplace skills valued by employers.
In December 2007, after 18 years as President of the Sloan Foundation, Gomory became president emeritus and joined the Stern School of Business
New York University Stern School of Business
The Leonard N. Stern School of Business is New York University's business school. It was established in 1900 as the NYU School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance. In 1988 it was named after Leonard N. Stern, an alumnus and benefactor of the school...
at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
as a research professor,
An unassuming man, Gomory does not shy away from embracing controversy or tackling tough issues, either in his role as foundation president or in his personal economic research.
Currently he focuses his work on addressing the increasing complexities of the globalized economy and the differing goals of countries and companies. His 2001 book, co-written with Professor William Baumol, Global Trade and Conflicting National Interests, has contributed to shaping the national argument on the roles and responsibilities of American corporations in the modern American economy.
Gomory currently blogs at The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
and his work has been profiled in The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
and The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
.
Other Activities:
Gomory has been a trustee of Hampshire College
Hampshire College
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
and of Princeton University. He has been a director of a number of corporations including The Washington Post Company and the Bank of New York
Bank of New York
The Bank of New York was a global financial services company established in 1784 by the American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. It existed until its merger with the Mellon Financial Corporation on July 2, 2007...
. He is currently a director of Lexmark International, Inc.
Lexmark
Lexmark International, Inc. is an American corporation which develops and manufactures printing and imaging products, including laser and inkjet printers, multifunction products, printing supplies, and services for business and individual consumers...
, and of a small start-up company. He was named one of America's ten best directors by Director's Alert magazine in 2000. He has testified on various occasions to congressional committees.
He is a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
, the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
, and the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
. He was elected to the governing councils of all three organizations. He is also a fellow of the Econometric Society
Econometric Society
The Econometric Society is an international society for the advancement of economic theory in its relation with statistics and mathematics. It was founded on December 29, 1930 at the Stalton Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio....
.
Gomory served for many years on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and on the National Research Council
United States National Research Council
The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...
(NRC) Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy
Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy
The Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy is a committee of the United States National Academy of Sciences , the National Academy of Engineering , and the Institute of Medicine...
(COSEPUP). He is currently a member of the NRC Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy
Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy
The United States National Academy of Sciences' Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy is a board of the United States National Academy of Sciences....
(STEP).
Awards and honors
Gomory has been awarded eight honorary degrees and many significant awards including the National Medal of Science.Awards: Lanchester Prize of the Operations Research Society, 1963; Harry Goode Memorial Award of the American Federation of Information Processing Societies, 1984; John von Neumann Theory Prize of INFORMS, 1984; Medal of the Industrial Research Society, 1985; National Medal of Science, 1988; IEEE Engineering Leadership Recognition Award, 1988; Arthur M. Bueche Award of the National Academy of Engineering, 1993; the 4th Annual Heinz Award
Heinz Award
The Heinz Award is an award currently given annually to ten honorees by the Heinz Family Foundation. The Heinz Awards recognize outstanding individuals for their contributions in the five areas of: Arts and Humanities, the Environment, the Human Condition, Public Policy, and Technology, the Economy...
for Technology, the Economy and Employment, 1998; Madison Medal of Princeton University, 1999; Sheffield Fellowship Award of the Yale University Faculty of Engineering, 2000; International Federation of Operational Research Societies’ Hall of Fame, 2005; Harold Larnder Prize of the Canadian Operational Research Society, 2006.
Additionally, three awards have been established in Gomory's honor:
The Ralph Gomory Prize of the Business History Conference (made possible by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation) recognizes historical work on the effect business enterprises have on the economic conditions of a country in which they operate. Two prizes of $5,000 are awarded annually, one for a book and second for an article.
The National Academy of Science's Award for the Industrial Application of Science, established by the IBM Corporation in honor of Ralph E. Gomory, is awarded triennially for original scientific work of intrinsic scientific importance and with significant, beneficial applications in industry.
The Ralph E. Gomory Award for Quality Online Education is presented annually by the Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C) to an institution demonstrating commitment to assessing and improving the quality of its online education programs.
Publication
In addition to the book Global Trade and Conflicting National Interests, Gomory has published more than 80 articles on a great variety of subjects including mathematics, economics, the management and impact of science and technology, and the role and function of corporations.See also
- Linear program
- Gomory's cutting-plane methodCutting-plane methodIn mathematical optimization, the cutting-plane method is an umbrella term for optimization methods which iteratively refine a feasible set or objective function by means of linear inequalities, termed cuts...
- Gomory's cutting-plane method
- William J. Baumol
- List of members of the National Academy of Sciences
- List of National Medal of Science recipients
- National Academy of EngineeringNational Academy of EngineeringThe National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
- American Philosophical SocietyAmerican Philosophical SocietyThe American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
External links
- http://www.ralphgomory.com/
- http://w4.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/facultyindex.cgi?id=459
- http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/builders/builders_gomory.html
- http://www2.informs.org/Prizes/LanchesterPrize.html
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ralph-gomory
- http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070430/greider
- http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/File/Commdocs/hearings/2008/Oversight/22may/Gomory_Testimony.pdf