John M. Richardson Jr. passed peacefully at home on Saturday, Feb 21 at the age of 87. Below is a short bio. Any one seeking to honor him can feel free to donate on his behalf at (https://www.safetyharborartan… )

John M. Richardson Jr. scholar, author, naval officer, and longtime professor, devoted his life to education, public service, and global systems thinking.

A graduate of Dartmouth College, where he earned his B.A. with honors in history, Richardson served in the U.S. Navy as a communications officer based out of Pearl Harbor before completing his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota.

He taught at Case Western Reserve University, American University, the University of Colombo and the National University of Singapore. A member of the Club of Rome and the Balaton Group, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the System Dynamics Society and was named in 1982 by the Society for Computer Simulation as one of the twenty most effective decision makers in the world.

He authored or contributed to numerous books, including Partners in Development, Paradise Poisoned, and Ending Hunger, and was especially proud of establishing a Faculty-in-Residence program at American University, later continuing similar mentoring work at NUS. In retirement, he served as Special Advisor to the Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, co-founded by his daughter.

He is survived by his children, Heather Richardson and Bradford Richardson; his grandchildren, Adam Ingram, Greg Richardson, Olivia Richardson, and Sophia Richardson; and his former wife and lifelong friend, Janice Bartlett Richardson, who was present at his passing.

In his own words

John Richardson Story

I have been university affiliated as graduate student, faculty member, faculty resident, visiting scholar and senior university administrator. Dartmouth has faded from my priorities, though not from my good memories. Among the “Gallery of Mentors” that I posted in my office and faculty apartments to share with students and with junior faculty members I was coaching, there were two Dartmouth representatives, one was history professor John R. Williams who mentored me for three years and supervised my thesis and Honors Program. Later President John Kemeny welcomed me back to Dartmouth for a brief stay and gave me some brief but valuable one-on-one commentary on a year-long postdoctoral project in mathematics.

After graduation and five years of Naval Service (payback of ROTC scholarship) I affiliated with several Universities. In fact my first faculty appointment, following three years of “sea duty” on a “Radar Picket Ship” was as Assistant Professor of Naval Science – Weapons and Space Technology at the University of Minnesota. (This gave me the chance to sample the life of a university professor at a major institution while still drawing my salary from the navy). Fortuitously, upon resigning from the Navy I was able to complete Ph.D. in political science and a year of postdoctoral work in mathematics at the University. (My high school geometry teacher would have been surprised at that.)

My first faculty appointment was at Case Western Reserve University. I chose it because Western Reserve University, a liberal arts institution had just merged with Case Institute of Technology, which was known for innovative work in Operations Research and Systems Engineering. The choice proved fortuitous, because through serendipitous circumstances, I was able switch departments from Political Science to Systems Engineering and, eventually to become Director of the school of Engineering’s computing laboratory. At a time when computer resources were costly, this provided colleagues and me with, when needed, a dedicated resource to conduct computer simulation-based public policy applications related to “the death of Lake Erie”. These were followed by “global modeling” simulations focused on public policy issues related what is now bears the label of “sustainability.” These also provided some international consulting opportunities, complementing my academic work.

After two additional years at Case Western Reserve, I was fortunate to be offered a position as director of an innovative interdisciplinary teaching and research program at American University, Washington DC. The Center for Technology and Administration specialized in applications of computer based-management sciences to public policy. After several years, I chose return to the Social Sciences, as faculty member in American Universities, highly regarded School of international Service. Later I combined teaching responsibilities with appointment as the School’s Director of Doctoral studies, and subsequently as Director of the University’s Center for Teaching Excellence – later the Center for Teaching, Research and Learning. “Global Modeling” work also provided international consulting opportunities, particularly with leaders of OPEC nations who were seeking to better understand both the domestic and international implications of turbulent oil markets. There were also long-term consulting affiliations with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, near Vienna in Austria and the Hunger Project in San Francisco, each of which resulted in collaborative books. Groping in the Dark: The First Decade of Global Modeling and Ending Hunger: An Idea Whose Time Has Come were the titles. A nine month sabbatical at MIT’s Sloan School of Management gave me the rare opportunity to spend personal time with personal time with Professor J.W. Forrester, the “inventor” of “System Dynamics” computer simulation modeling. Another collaborative book, Making it Happen: A Positive Guide to the Future, was intended to convince supporters of recently elected President Ronald Reagan, that they should care about what has come to be known as “sustainability”.

System Dynamics computer simulation modeling provided the basis for a long term study of the relationship between conflict and development spanning nearly 20 years. My consulting work had motivated a long standing concern with the destabilizing potential implications of good hearted “development” projects that windfall profits from petroleum exports could help catalyze. This concern was exacerbated by the overthrow of Iran’s imperial government. I had been among consultants contracted by the government to implement models that would provide guidance to decision makers regarding domestic and international implications of oil windfalls. During my brief stays, living in downtown Iran (so I could walk to work) rather than the posh hotel district overlooking the city, I was able to rub elbows with some of the young men who helped overthrow the government, though not to get to know them personally.

As I wrote in the Preface of my book, Paradise Poisoned: Learning About Conflict Terrorism and Development from Sri Lanka’s Civil Wars, this experience nagged at me, It lead to computer modeling studies of conflict dynamics in Mexico and Argentina, followed by a multi-year study of Sri Lanka’s civil wars lasting nearly 20 years. . My book, Paradise Poisoned, Learning About Conflict, Terrorism and development from Sri Lanka’s Civil Wars (2005) described this.

Administrative responsibilities at the university, combined with a heavy travel schedule made long commutes in the Washington DC metropolitan area’s increasingly heavy traffic problematic. However I was able to solve the problem by becoming American University’s first full-time faculty member in residence. My “neighbors” were about 800 students who lived in AU’s largest undergraduate dormitory. A highlight of my service was when the student lounge adjoining my apartment was chosen by the Style Channel for a “My Celebrity Home” makeover. A Style Channel. With student help a Style Channel Team transformed the lounge to resemble the upscale Los Angeles eatery, Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante. I combined service as faculty resident with management responsibilities for academic computing, faculty development and the quality of academic instruction as Director of American University’s Center for Teaching Research and Learning. The faculty development task, supporting young assistant professors in negotiating the tenure process, was particularly rewarding.

Long ago, my mother had advised me that it was “better to leave the stage while the audience was still applauding.” Following her advice, I took early retirement form American University and accepted a position as Visiting Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. where I had spent a sabbatical leave during portions of 2010 and 2011. I continued my affiliation with the School in various positions through 2017. In 2014, I helped to found a new residential college at the National University of Singapore, pioneering a curriculum that emphasized systems thinking and System Dynamics modeling. As Resident Fellow of the College I was also given one more opportunity to live with undergraduate students, as Visiting Professor for three years (2014-2017) and then for a final year with reduced duties as adjunct professor. Taking occasional breakfasts and most dinners with students in the common dining room was a particularly rewarding perquisite of this position.

Now, I am living with my daughter in the beautiful town of Safety Harbor, located on Florida’s West Coast. I have the honorific title of “Special Advisor” to the Safety Harbor Arts and Music Center (shamc.org) There is also a most interesting project focusing on applications of System Dynamics modeling.to China’s economic development in the era of concerns about “sustainability”.

Writing this narrative has given the opportunity to reflect on how my Dartmouth experience helped to shape my career. In fact the influence of my most important mentor, Professor John R. Williams was pivotal. I don’t know how I came to this, but I got the idea that the way to connect with professors was to be interested in what interested them. Professor Williams was interested in medieval history, and especially the papacy of Pope Gregory VII. By the end of my second Dartmouth year, I decided I would live alone and begin preparing myself to become a history professor, with a specialty in medieval history. As you can see, things didn’t quite work out as I had planned, but close enough.

With best wishes,

John Richardson,

August 26, 2020.

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