Louis B. Kahn

Prof. Louis B. Kahn, Ph.D May 9, 1918 - July 5, 2012 Resident of Berkeley Louis B. Kahn was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 9, 1918, to Hungarian and Latvian parents. In 1959, he was one of 10 leading pioneers in the application of statistics using electronic computers, and he presented the Queen of England with a statistical paper that he read to the Royal Statistical Society. He received an M.S. degree in Statistics, Economics and Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Statistics, Univ. of Wisconsin, 1948 and 1951, respectively. He had been in World War II in Infantry in Germany as 1st Lieutenant and was honored the Purple Heart, 2 Bronze Medals and 3 Battle Stars. Prof. Kahn published a book entitled A Study of Productivity and Its Measurement in 1951. Prof. Kahn co-authored a book entitled Logistics Papers with J.E. Hamilton in 1956. He also authored a paper entitled A Statistical Model for Evaluating the Reliability of Safety Systems for Plants Manufacturing Hazardous Products in 1959. In 1961, the Shell Development Co. in Emeryville, CA appointed him the editor of a new journal, The Logistics Review and Military Logistics Journal, which was the official journal of the Military Logistics Society. Prof. Louis B. Kahn had four books in progress on Economics and Statistics when in 1962 he suffered a catastrophic cerebral hemorrhage which impeded his speech, affected his balance of his limbs, and was predicted to live only 10 days. "Rocks of Gibralters", his wife, Vera, and he began the computer consulting business, Technical Economics, Inc. in 1962, one of the first in the country. Vera was his "arms and legs", and Kahn the company President (the "creative mind"). Prof. Louis B. Kahn left us on July 5, 2012 at Chaparral Skilled Nursing in Berkeley, having received superior care under KJ Page's leadership (Director). He leaves behind his family, Vera Ann Kahn, wife, Ann Jean Millikan, daughter, Ruth Ellen Kahn Siderman, daughter, George C. Millikan, son-in-law, Richard Siderman, son-in-law, two grandsons Jacob and Joshua Siderman, and a young kitten VENUS. His son Ralph Michael Kahn predeceased him. He also left behind mentoring of remarkable perserverance, bravery and family love. He is referenced in the Who'sWho of the West and American Men and Women of Science.