Gerald J. Lieberman

Who is Gerald J. Lieberman?

Lieberman, PhD '53, died May 18 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). In his long career at Stanford he was the consummate statesman, navigating academic and institutional realms with equal aplomb. Lieberman joined the faculty in statistics and industrial engineering immediately after earning his doctorate in statistics. Ten years later, he helped found the program in operations research. He chaired the new department until 1975, when he became associate dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences. He went on to serve as vice provost and dean of research, dean of graduate studies and chair of the Faculty Senate. And, in a departure from his policy-shaping role, Lieberman chaired the celebration commemorating Stanford's first 100 years. He was well-suited to the task, in part because of his enormous pride in the University's growth and strength, Kennedy recalls.