April 30, 2003
Austin and UT Legend George Kozmetsky Passes Away
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Kozmetsky Memorial Service: Sunday, May 4, at 2:00 p.m. Erwin Center |
Austin, TX—George Kozmetsky, a legendary figure at The University of Texas and throughout the state, passed away this morning in Austin.
Over his 16-year tenure as dean of the UT College and Graduate School of Business (1966-1982), Kozmetsky brought significant improvements to practically every facet of the school, transforming it from a regional institution into a national powerhouse for research and business education. He recruited star-quality faculty, encouraged a cross-disciplinary approach to research and curriculum development, introduced technology into the curriculum, and upgraded facilities through the construction of the Graduate School of Business building in 1976. Aside from his contributions to the stature and reputation of the business school, Kozmetsky and his wife Ronya made personal financial contributions to the school as well as solicited significant endowments from others that helped propel the school into the national ranks. In short, he changed the school’s culture permanently by creating an environment of overall academic excellence.
By the time Kozmetsky was tapped for the deanship at UT Austin, he was already a successful businessman who had co-founded the high-tech company Teledyne in 1960 and grew it to a Fortune 500 company within six years. He’d also been a highly respected professor at Carnegie Tech.
Though he may be best known for his accomplishments in industry and business school administration, Kozmetsky first earned distinction for his work in academia, where he learned, researched and taught with some of the leading business scholars of his era. He earned an MBA at Harvard University in 1947 and a Doctorate of Commercial Science in 1957. While working toward his doctoral degree, he joined a group of elite researchers that was revolutionizing management education with its visionary work, co-authoring two publications with renowned Professor Herbert Simon, including the highly influential Centralization vs. Decentralization in Organizing the Controller's Department. Kozmetsky continued to be an active scholar, throughout and following his deanship, publishing numerous books and articles on a wide range of subjects, from public policy issues to management science.
During his deanship in 1977, George founded the IC˛ Institute, a think tank charged with researching the intersection of business, government and education. It was Kozmetsky’s vision of the Technopolis, studied and written about by the fellows at IC˛, that has largely shaped the development of Austin in the last two decades. In 1983, George and IC˛ were enlisted in the collaborative effort to convince Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC) that Austin should be its home. The city, at George’s instigation, sold itself as not just what it was, but what it would become. A similar approach was used to attract 3M in 1984 and Sematech in 1988. Later, AMD, Motorola, Samsung, and many others followed suit, fulfilling George’s vision of the Technopolis.
Kozmetsky is in a unique class of exceptional leaders whose success is reflected in the success of those he or she has influenced. He has mentored countless numbers of students and entrepreneurs over the decades, including Michael Dell, who said in an article about Kozmetsky being published in the McCombs School alumni magazine next month, “It was a stroke of great fortune to have Dr. Kozmetsky on our team. There’s no question that his guidance was instrumental in our early success and his affiliation gave us a measure of credibility that a new and unproven company could otherwise never have achieved.”
The McCombs School of Business and The University of Texas at Austin today mourn the loss of a great man who left an indelible mark on the institution. He will be forever remembered for his incredible vision, leadership, and citizenship.
Signed: George Gau, Dean 2002-present; Robert May, Former Dean 1995-2002; Robert Witt, Former Dean 1985-1995; William Cunningham, Former Dean 1982-1985
Highlights from the career of George Kozmetsky
1917 – George Kozmetsky born to George and Nadya Kozmetsky, October
1937 – At age 20, graduated from the University of Washington
1941 – Enlisted in U.S. Army. Earned a Bronze Star, Silver Star and the Purple Heart
1943 – Married to Ronya on November 5
1947 – Earned an MBA from Harvard University
1957 – Earned Doctorate of Commercial Science from Harvard
1960 – Co-founded Teledyne
1966 – Appointed Dean of the UT College and Graduate School of Business; held position for 16 years
1977 – Founded IC˛ Institute
1993 – Received National Medal of Technology Award from President Clinton
