In memory of C. West Churchman (1913–2004) Reminiscences,retrospectives, and reflections

Abstract

C. West Churchman, the grand old man of the ‘systems approach’, is dead. Born on 29 August 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was 90 years of age. After a rich and significant life of scholarship, he died on 21 March 2004 in Bolinas, California. A former student and collaborator of Professor Churchman offers this commemorative essay. He looks back on his years with West (as everybody called him) at the University of California, Berkeley, and reflects on the way this changed his understanding of the systems approach. The paper also offers a sketch of some of the core concerns and concepts of Churchman’s philosophy of social systems design; a short summary of his professional career; an overview of his major publications; and a list of recommended readings.