IJAHP: Assad/Obituary: Thomas L. Saaty- Creator of AHP/ANP Decision Making Methodology International Journal of the Analytic Hierarchy Process 285 Vol. 9 Issue 2 2017 ISSN 1936-6744 https://doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v9i2.496 Obituary: Thomas L. Saaty – Creator of AHP/ANP Decision-Making Methodology Arjang Assad Henry E. Haller Jr. Dean Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA Dear Colleagues: It is with great sadness that I share the heart-rending news that Dr. Thomas L. Saaty passed away on Monday, August 14, 2017. He was 91. Tom had been bravely battling a grave illness for some time and will be dearly missed. Holding the highest faculty rank of Distinguished University Professor, Tom was an exceptionally gifted researcher and prolific author, and for many years his brilliant mind illuminated the field of Business Analytics and Operations. He is best known as the creator of the decision-making mechanisms Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) for resolving complex problems. These versatile tools had virtually limitless practical applications. Tom and his coworkers successfully applied these tools to such issues as arms control and disarmament, geopolitical conflicts, urban design, and countless business applications worldwide. Tom was first recruited to the Katz School in 1979 by Dean Emeritus H. J. Zoffer. He was previously on the faculty of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to his faculty appointments, Tom held prominent positions at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Office of Naval Research, the U.S. Embassy in London, and Navy Management Office, among others. Tom’s impeccable academic credentials included a PhD in mathematics from Yale University, with post-graduate study completed in pure mathematics at The Sorbonne, University of Paris, and an M.A. in mathematics from Yale University, a M.S. in physics from the Catholic University of America, and a B.A. from Columbia Union College. The impressive awards and accolades that Tom garnered over the course of his lifetime are too numerous to list, but I will share a few. His cumulative citation count, which is one measure of his impact on the field, exceeds 97,000 citations in Google Scholar. Fittingly, Tom was the recipient of the University of Pittsburgh’s highest honor for https://doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v9i2.496 IJAHP: Assad/Obituary: Thomas L. Saaty- Creator of AHP/ANP Decision Making Methodology International Journal of the Analytic Hierarchy Process 286 Vol. 9 Issue 2 2017 ISSN 1936-6744 https://doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v9i2.496 research, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award, and Tom also received our school’s H.J. Zoffer Medal for Meritorious Service in recognition of his years of service. Tom also received many awards honoring his contributions to his field, including the Impact Prize from INFORMS and the Gold Medal from the International Society for Multi-Criteria Decision Making. On a personal note, I deeply grieve the loss of a good friend whom I admired. Tom was very kind to me when I joined the school and frequently welcomed me to his home. It was in these one-on-one conversations that I came to appreciate his amazingly curious and creative mind. Of course, Tom touched the lives of many during his time with us. As a researcher, as a teacher, and as a friend and colleague, he brought honor and prestige to the institution. International scholars from all corners of the world sought Tom out and came to Pittsburgh to work with him. We will all miss his prodigious presence at Katz. Tom is survived by his wife, Rozann Saaty; his children, Linda, Michael, Emily, John, and Daniel; his grandchildren, Tom, Michael, Meghan, Amy, Kara, Monica, Emma, Nina, Max, and Fletcher; and his great grandchildren, Lydia, Fiona, and Lilly. Tom’s wishes were to not have a funeral or viewing, and the family has asked that in lieu of remembrances such as flowers or donations that people carry on the legacy of his work in their coursework and research. The family may hold a memorial event in the future, and details will be shared as they become available. Sincerely, Arjang Assad Henry E. Haller Jr. Dean Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration https://doi.org/10.13033/ijahp.v9i2.496