Last Look - December 2008
Our thanks to Tom Barry, Ed Jones, Ira Krauss, Henry Kuehn, Rodger Marting, Michael Owen, and John Williams (all MBA ’69E), who identified members of Section E welcoming home their MERC II (Managerial Economics, Reporting, and Control) professor, Ed Zschau (with the leis), at Logan Airport. Williams writes: “The surprise celebration was held on an early spring afternoon in 1968 on the tarmac at Logan just as Zschau disembarked from his plane. It was organized by Chandler Daniels, a former member of The Highwaymen (a 1960s folk group that had the hit song ‘Michael, Row the Boat Ashore’), and others. It was attended by about half the section, which probably skipped a class with the permission of the instructor. Adored by Section E for his quick wit, warm personality, and brilliance in teaching the decision tree by the case method, Zschau was in the midst of a short leave from his HBS duties, probably for consulting. His substitute, while very smart, was a low-pass-minus as a teaching personality and had an impossible task as a stand-in for the inimitable Zschau. The homecoming event was a fabulous relief rally never to be forgotten by those Section E members in attendance.” Jones remembers that the class Section E skipped was MERC II, taught by Zschau’s replacement. Barry adds: “MERC addressed quantitative decision- making under uncertainty. The subject matter was difficult, and the teaching workbooks were obtuse. Ed was a brilliant teacher who motivated us through jokes, games, and even songs.” Those in the photo, left to right: Bob Bosler (says Kuehn) or Mel Horwitch (says Barry), Tom Spanier (holding a decision-tree spoof), Daniels, Karen Green, Williams, Zschau, Ray Pousaz (says Kuehn), Bill Ehrhart, Ats Miyawaki, and Jim Eversmann. Zschau taught again at HBS from 1996 to 2000 after serving four years in Congress and working in Silicon Valley. He now teaches at Princeton.
Your Comments
This is Ed Schau (or Zschau) and my section at HBS. In the pic are Emmet Stephenson on the far left, Karen Green immediately to Ed's left and Bill Ehrhart, 2nd to his right. Ed, as a professor, was a great favorite of the section. I have forgotten what this was about but we may have given him a trip. I think he left HBS to run for public office in California. I am sure of the names but not the actual event.