Herb Simon
Intellectual Giant, Time Traveler
If it were possible for a professor to travel back in time to better prepare students to solve the challenges of the future, one might believe that Herb Simon had done just this. He pioneered the foundations of artificial intelligence, redefined the psychology of human cognition, and transformed every field he explored. How did he become such a disruptor?
Trained in economics and political science, Simon defined how a fundamental human skill, the ability to make decisions and solve problems, really works. With a formidable intellect, gleeful curiosity, and insatiable love of learning, he built on this seismic shift in thinking during 65 years of research, leaving his imprint on economics, political science, psychology, and computer science.
After joining the Carnegie Mellon faculty in 1949 to establish what is now the Tepper School of Business, Simon developed a rigorous new business education curriculum that established a data focused and human driven approach. He became intrigued with the computer, which, he recognized, solved problems by using clear parameters, like humans. Simon teamed with the Rand Corporation’s Allen Newell (who earned his Ph.D. under Simon’s tutelage) to write programs that simulated how people reasoned when they solved logical problems.
In 1955, Simon and his colleague wrote a program that proved the theorems in a classic mathematics volume whose calculations had taken 10 years of longhand work. Simon and Newell had invented what the professor named their “thinking machine.” They had also invented artificial intelligence.
For 52 years, Simon was a vibrant, beloved visionary at Carnegie Mellon. In addition to pioneering the Tepper School, he was instrumentation in the creation or expansion of departments in psychology, philosophy, social and decision sciences, information sciences, computer science, and physics. He appeared to have an uncanny understanding that human decision making would be crucial in a future dominated by technology and AI.
A teacher, trustee, and author of 27 books, Simon’s scientific accolades include the A.M. Turing Award, National Medal of Science, Von Neumann Theory Prize, and Nobel Prize in Economics.
Today, Simon's profound legacy continues to revolutionize business education. Tepper School students—past, present, and future—are part of this enduring legacy, embodying his pioneering spirit. Simon remains a disruptor, transcending the boundaries of time, forever challenging and reshaping the landscape of business and beyond.
