Richard Cyert
Encyclopedia
Richard Michael Cyert was an American
economist
and statistician
who served as the sixth President
of Carnegie Mellon University
in Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
, United States
.
and grew up in Minneapolis
. He received a B.S.
from the University of Minnesota
in 1943, then joined the U.S. Navy. On the G.I. Bill he earned his Ph.D.
in economics from Columbia University
following World War II
. At Columbia, however, he became a specialist in statistics as well. He taught briefly at City College of New York
, then took a position in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1948 to teach statistics in accounting and auditing.
. In 1972 he became the university's sixth president. During his tenure as president, he led Carnegie Mellon through unparalleled growth, transforming it from an Eastern technical school to a premiere American university. He faced inherited deficits by first cutting costs, which gained him some enemies, and later launched the largest expansion in the school's 98-year history. The number of departments and programs ranked in the Top 10 nationally by deans' surveys rose from three—computer science, drama, and industrial administration—to twelve. His administration initiated new program areas in urban and public policy, engineering, architecture, art, cognitive psychology, social history, philosophy, and applied math.
Throughout his administrative career he remained active in his academic fields. He was the author or co-author of 12 books and wrote more than 100 articles for professional journals and books.
After retiring from CMU, Cyert served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Institute of Statistical Sciences at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. He served for four years, until illness forced him to step down. He died following a long battle with cancer.
For 52 years he was married to Margaret Shadick Cyert; they had three daughters.
Cyert Hall, Carnegie Mellon's computing administration building, is named after Richard Cyert.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and statistician
Statistician
A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
who served as the sixth President
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...
of Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Early life
He was born in Winona, MinnesotaWinona, Minnesota
Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the U.S. State of Minnesota. Located in picturesque bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf....
and grew up in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. He received a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in 1943, then joined the U.S. Navy. On the G.I. Bill he earned 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 economics from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. At Columbia, however, he became a specialist in statistics as well. He taught briefly at City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
, then took a position in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1948 to teach statistics in accounting and auditing.
Carnegie Mellon years
Cyert taught economics, statistics, and industrial administration for the next 14 years, then was named dean of the Graduate School of Industrial AdministrationTepper School of Business
The Tepper School of Business is a private business school located on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.The school consistently ranks highly among the top business schools in the U.S., as well as in a wide range of specializations, such as finance,...
. In 1972 he became the university's sixth president. During his tenure as president, he led Carnegie Mellon through unparalleled growth, transforming it from an Eastern technical school to a premiere American university. He faced inherited deficits by first cutting costs, which gained him some enemies, and later launched the largest expansion in the school's 98-year history. The number of departments and programs ranked in the Top 10 nationally by deans' surveys rose from three—computer science, drama, and industrial administration—to twelve. His administration initiated new program areas in urban and public policy, engineering, architecture, art, cognitive psychology, social history, philosophy, and applied math.
Throughout his administrative career he remained active in his academic fields. He was the author or co-author of 12 books and wrote more than 100 articles for professional journals and books.
After retiring from CMU, Cyert served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Institute of Statistical Sciences at Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. He served for four years, until illness forced him to step down. He died following a long battle with cancer.
For 52 years he was married to Margaret Shadick Cyert; they had three daughters.
Cyert Hall, Carnegie Mellon's computing administration building, is named after Richard Cyert.
Works
- Models in a Behavioral Theory of the Firm, with E. A. Feigenbaum, and James March, Behavioral Science, April, 1959, pp81–95
- Behavioral Theory of the Firm with James March. Oxford: Blackwell, 1963.
- Multi-Period Decision Models with Alternating Choice as a Solution to the Duopoly Problem, with M. H. DeGroot, Quarterly Journal of Economics, August, 1970, pp410–429
- Management Decision Making (1971) with Lawrence A. Welsch
- The American Economy, 1960-2000 (1983)
- Technology and Employment (1987)
- Computational Organization Theory (1994) with Kathleen M. Carley and Michael J. Prietula