Andrews, Kenneth R. 1916–2005

(Kenneth Richmond Andrews)

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born May 24, 1916, in New London, CT; died September 4, 2005, in Durham, NH. Educator and author. Andrews was an influential professor at the Harvard Business School and editor of the Harvard Business Review. Originally interested in English literature, he earned a B.A. and M.A. from Wesleyan University in 1936 and 1937, respectively. He was working on a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois when he was called to military service during World War II. Instead of fighting on the front lines, however, he was assigned to the Army Air Forces Statistical Control School. The school was based at the Harvard Business School, and after he left the military holding the rank of major, he was asked to return there. Andrews accepted the invitation, and became an instructor in business administration. Meanwhile, he completed his doctorate in 1948 with a dissertation on Mark Twain that was later published as Nook Farm: Mark Twain's Hartford Circle (1950). Instead of teaching English literature as he had originally planned, Andrews became interested in what he was doing at the business school. He remained there for the rest of his career and become a highly influential figure. Among his accomplishments at the Harvard Business School, Andrews served as chair of the advanced management program from 1967 to 1970, was credited with profoundly shaping the curriculum, helped make the study of corporate strategy a major part of the program, and, as editor-in-chief from 1979 to 1985, was largely responsible for making the Harvard Business Review one of the most important journals in its field. He retired in 1986 as Donald Kirk David Professor of Business Administration emeritus. As a researcher and author, Andrews was interested in corporate strategy, business management principles, and business ethics. Among his published works are the books The Effectiveness of University Management Development Programs (1966) and The Concept of Corporate Strategy (1971; 3rd edition, 1987), and the edited Ethics in Practice (1990). Andrews was recognized for his contributions with several honors, including the 1986 Harvard Medal and a distinguished service award in 1990 from the Harvard Business School.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

ONLINE

Harvard Business School Web site, http://www.hbs.edu/ (September 7, 2005).