Russell Lincoln Ackoff
Systems Thinking Library
News & Updates

Latest News & Announcements ~ updated November 9, 2009

We are saddened to announce that Russ Ackoff died on October 29, 2009, of a blood clot following hip replacement surgery. The Penn community and others around the world informed by his vision, practice, teaching, scholarship, wit, and wisdom grieve his passing. A brief summary of some of his accomplishments are here.

Since posting this announcement early on October 30, we have received dozens of messages from friends, colleagues, former students, and current students of Dr. Ackoff. Click here to scroll through these touching tributes.

The Memorial Service for Professor Ackoff will be held on Friday, Febraury 12, 2010, in the afternoon. This would have been Russ' 91st birthday. Formal notices/invitations and details will follow.

The Ackoff family has requested that all financial donations, gifts, and support in memory of Russ should be directed to the Russell L. Ackoff Systems Thinking Library at Penn. Your tax-deductible contribution, payable to the "Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania," can be mailed to

Organizational Dynamics

School of Arts and Sciences

Office of External Affairs

3615 Market Street, Floor 2

Philadelphia, PA 19104-6318

Donations may also be made online at www.organizationaldynamics.upenn.edu/ackoff

If you would like to offer a few words of his impact on you or to support his family, please type Russ Ackoff in the subject and email to dynamics@sas.upenn.edu for posting on this site.

Click here to return to the Ackoff Library Home Page.

Some websites you might be interested in consulting for other news about Dr. Ackoff and his work:

• http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2009/10/31/russell-l-ackoff-1919-2009/
• http://ackoffcenter.blogs.com/
• http://www.triarchypress.com/pages/RussellAckoff_an-appreciation.htm Note that this website publishes highlights from and provides links to obituaries from the Financial Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Huffington Post, and a tribute in the Economist.