Ralph Edward Gomory (born May 7, 1929) is an American

applied mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

and

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive di ...

. 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 Applied mathematics is the application of mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a combination of mathemati ...

.The Heinz Awards, Ralph E. Gomory profile
/ref> 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 Globalization, or globalisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. The term ''globalization'' first appeared in the early 20t ...

on the United States; and the role of technology in education.Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Ralph E. Gomory profile
/ref> Gomory has written extensively on the nature of technology development, industrial competitiveness, models of international trade, social issues under current economics and law, and the function of the corporation in a globalizing world.

Biography

Gomory is the son of Andrew L. Gomory and Marian Schellenberg. He graduated from George School in Newtown, PA in 1946. He received his

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

from

Williams College Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was kille ...

in 1950, studied at

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, and received his Ph.D. in mathematics from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

in 1954. He served in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

from 1954 to 1957. While serving in the Navy, he shifted his focus to applied mathematics in

operations research Operations research ( en-GB, operational research) (U.S. Air Force Specialty Code: Operations Analysis), often shortened to the initialism OR, is a discipline that deals with the development and application of analytical methods to improve decis ...

. Among his mathematical achievements were founding contributions to the field of

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 (ILP), in which the objective ...

, 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. In 1964 he was appointed

IBM Fellow An IBM Fellow is an appointed position at IBM made by IBM's CEO. Typically only four to nine (eleven in 2014) IBM Fellows are appointed each year, in May or June. Fellow is the highest honor a scientist, engineer, or programmer at IBM can achiev ...

. In 1970, Gomory became Director of Research with line responsibility for IBM's Research Division. During his tenure IBM researchers made major contributions to the understanding of memory devices (Dennard Scalling), made major advances possible in high-density storage devices and produced advanced silicon processing methods. They also invented the relational database (Codd) and the

RISC In computer engineering, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) is a computer designed to simplify the individual instructions given to the computer to accomplish tasks. Compared to the instructions given to a complex instruction set comp ...

computer architecture. His researchers also won two successive Nobel Prizes in Physics and it was at IBM Research that Benoit Mandelbrot created the now widely accepted concept of

fractal In mathematics, a fractal is a geometric shape containing detailed structure at arbitrarily small scales, usually having a fractal dimension strictly exceeding the topological dimension. Many fractals appear similar at various scales, as ill ...

s.IBM Nobel Laureates
/ref> He continued in a leadership role for the next 20 years eventually becoming IBM Senior Vice President for Science and Technology. In 1979, the book Science and Technology, A Five Year Outlook was published, collaborated with the National Academy of Sciences by W.H. Freeman and Company, with Gomory took the role of Study Chairman. In 1975, Gomory was elected a member of the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of ...

for contributions to the fields of linear and integer programming, and leadership in the development of computer technology. After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 for corporate officers at IBM, Gomory became president of the

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is an American philanthropic nonprofit organization. It was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan Jr., then-president and chief executive officer of General Motors. The Sloan Foundation makes grants to suppor ...

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’ work in the field of online learning predated the public Internet; its continued support has resulted in nearly seven million people taking online courses for credit as of 2012. The foundation started the now-widespread program of industry studies, and launched a program advocating a more flexible workplace. It developed an approach to overcoming the problem of underrepresented minority Ph.D.’s in scientific and technical fields. Among scientific achievements, the foundation supported the widely recognized

Sloan Digital Sky Survey The Sloan Digital Sky Survey or SDSS is a major multi-spectral 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 began in 2000 ...

, which has made major contributions to the problem of dark energy, and initiated a worldwide effort to survey life in the oceans known as the

Census of Marine Life The Census of Marine Life was a 10-year, US $650 million scientific initiative, involving a global network of researchers in more than 80 nations, engaged to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans. Th ...

. Under Gomory's leadership the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation also supported programs on public understanding of science and the development of the Professional Science Masters, designed to allow students to pursue advanced training in science or mathematics while simultaneously developing workplace skills. In December 2007, after 18 years as president of the Sloan Foundation, Gomory became president emeritus and joined the

Stern School of Business The New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business (commonly referred to as NYU Stern, The Stern School of Business, or simply Stern) is the business school of New York University, a private research university based in New York City. I ...

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

as a research professor.NYU, Ralph E. Gomory profile
/ref> 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''
focuses on the roles and responsibilities of American corporations in the modern American economy. He served on the U.S. President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) from 1984 to 1992, and again from 2001 to 2009, advising three Presidents that included Ronald Reagan, George H.W Bush, and George W. Bush.NYU Stern, Ralph E. Gomory profile
/ref> He has also served as director of The Washington Post Company and The Bank of New York, and he currently serves on the board of the National Academies Board on Science, Technology and Economic Policy.National Academy of Sciences, Board on Science, Technology and Economic Policy
/ref> Gomory currently blogs at ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' and his work has been profiled in ''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper t ...

''The Nation, Gomory profile
/ref> and ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

''.The Wall Street Journal, Gomory and Rodrik profile
/ref>

Awards and honors

Gomory has been awarded eight honorary degrees and many significant awards including the National Medal of Science.National Science and Technology Medals Foundation, Gomory profile
/ref> 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;

IRI Medal The IRI Medal, established by the Industrial Research Institute (IRI) in 1946, recognizes and honors leaders of technology for their outstanding accomplishments in technological innovation which contribute broadly to the development of industry and ...

of the

Industrial Research Institute Innovation Research Interchange (IRI) is a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, a nonprofit association based in Washington, D. C., United States. IRI was founded as a private non-profit in 1938 and merged with the NAM in 2022. I ...

, 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 The Heinz Awards are individual achievement honors given annually by the Heinz Family Foundation. The Heinz Awards each year recognize outstanding individuals for their innovative contributions in three areas: the Arts, the Economy and the Enviro ...

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. 2002 class of

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

s of the

Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) is an international society for practitioners in the fields of operations research (O.R.), management science, and analytics. It was established in 1995 with the merger o ...

. Gomory has been elected to many honorific societies including the National Academy of Science, the

, and the American Philosophical Society. He was also elected to the governing councils of all three of these societies. Additionally three awards have been established in Gomory’s honor. The National Academy of Science’s Award for the industrial application of science, established by IBM,National Academy of Science's Award
/ref> the Ralph Gomory Prize of the Business History Conference, established by the Sloan Foundation,Gomory Prize of the Business History Conference
/ref> and the Ralph E. Gomory Award for quality online education presented annually by the On-Line Consortium.Ralph E. Gomory Award
/ref>

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.http://www.ralphgomory.com/ His articles were published in various platforms and sites, including American Philosophical Society, Scientific American, Harvard Business Review, etc.

Sources

All text has been merged to form a single piece of text and they are from these cited sources:
The Heinz Awards, Ralph E. Gomory profile

National Academies Press - RALPH E. GOMORY

National Academy of Science - Ralph E. Gomory, Ph.D.

Sloan Foundation web site

References

External links

* * * http://www.ralphgomory.com/ * http://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/ralph-gomory * 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/article/establishment-rethinks-globalization/ * http://archives.democrats.science.house.gov/Media/File/Commdocs/hearings/2008/Oversight/22may/Additional_Documents_Gomory.pdf
Biography of Ralph Gomory
from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences {{DEFAULTSORT:Gomory, Ralph E. IBM employees IBM Fellows National Medal of Science laureates 1929 births Living people Williams College alumni Princeton University alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering IBM Research computer scientists Fellows of the Econometric Society Fellows of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences John von Neumann Theory Prize winners George School alumni

Biography

Awards and honors

Publication

See also

Sources

References

External links