We teachers make friends younger,
As we are growing old.
Those friends, we find, still love us,
When our story's mostly told.
As we are growing old.
Those friends, we find, still love us,
When our story's mostly told.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
The Price of a Long Life
Thanks be to God, I have lived for over three-quarters of a century.
While I am thankful for this life, I have just two days ago lost a beloved friend and teacher, and have realized that more such losses are inevitable as I continue to age. My teachers and mentors are older than I, so I must expect to hear such sad news with increasing frequency.
Professor C. Wickham Skinner of Harvard Business School was my teacher in his second-year course called Manufacturing Policy in my MBA program in 1969. Upon my graduation in 1970, Professor Skinner asked if I would stay at HBS and serve as his research assistant for a year, writing cases for the first-year course in operations management. When I accepted the job, Wick added that he hoped I would also apply for the DBA program, as there would be no tuition, so long as I was his research assistant. As it happened, I left after one year, but returned a decade later, and completed my doctoral program in 1986.
Professor Skinner and I shared an understanding of the manufacturing function in industry, an understanding which is all too rare among business school professors. At the link below, Professor Skinner's many books and articles are listed. I especially recommend The Focused Factory.
Wickham Skinner played a pivotal role in my life. We became close friends, and remained so until his death, two days ago. He was (at least) 94 years old.
May God rest his soul.
Wick's faculty web page is at this link:
https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=12314
While I am thankful for this life, I have just two days ago lost a beloved friend and teacher, and have realized that more such losses are inevitable as I continue to age. My teachers and mentors are older than I, so I must expect to hear such sad news with increasing frequency.
Professor C. Wickham Skinner of Harvard Business School was my teacher in his second-year course called Manufacturing Policy in my MBA program in 1969. Upon my graduation in 1970, Professor Skinner asked if I would stay at HBS and serve as his research assistant for a year, writing cases for the first-year course in operations management. When I accepted the job, Wick added that he hoped I would also apply for the DBA program, as there would be no tuition, so long as I was his research assistant. As it happened, I left after one year, but returned a decade later, and completed my doctoral program in 1986.
Professor Skinner and I shared an understanding of the manufacturing function in industry, an understanding which is all too rare among business school professors. At the link below, Professor Skinner's many books and articles are listed. I especially recommend The Focused Factory.
Wickham Skinner played a pivotal role in my life. We became close friends, and remained so until his death, two days ago. He was (at least) 94 years old.
May God rest his soul.
Wick's faculty web page is at this link:
https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=12314
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