THOMAS J. ALLEN III

ALLEN III, Thomas J. In Loving Memory ALLEN, Thomas J., 89, of Marblehead, Professor of Management and Organizational Psychology at MIT, died on November 13, 2020, after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Joan M. Allen; children, Thomas J. Jr. and Fleur Allen of Avondale Heights, Australia, Susan M. and Michael Golden of Marblehead, MA and Máirín A. and Jason Friday of Marshfield, MA; grandchildren, Éamonn, Declan and Niamh Golden and Molly, Meg and Aislinn Friday; and brother, John M. Allen of Newark, NJ. Prof. Allen was born in Newark, NJ, son of the late Thomas J. & Margaret (Conley) Allen. He was a proud graduate of St. Benedicts Preparatory School and Upsala College where he wrestled and played as a hard-nosed guard on the varsity football teams, developing the work ethic which underlay his subsequent professional success. In 1952, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, proudly graduating from MCRD Parris Island and serving overseas on active duty from 1954-1956 with VMR-253 in Japan and Korea. He finally completed his enlisted service in the USMC Reserve in 1960 with the rank of Sergeant. He subsequently spent nine years with the Boeing Aircraft Company in Seattle, WA and Lexington, MA as a research engineer engaged in weapon control system analysis and design. Following receipt at MIT of a SM in Electrical engineering in 1963 and a PhD in Organizational Management in 1966, Professor Allen received his initial appointment to the MIT faculty in the Sloan School Management in 1966. He was later appointed to the Gordon Y. Billard Professorship in Management from 1985 to 1993 and to the Howard W. Johnson Professor of Management Chair in the Management of Technological Innovation Group from 1993 to 2013. From 1985 to 1989, he was Research Director for the Management in the 1990's Program and from 1989 to 1994 was Director of the International Center for Research on the Management of Technology. From 1991, he served as Co-director of the Program on the Pharmaceutical Industry, from 1995 as Co-director of the Lean Aerospace Initiative and from 1998 as Professor of Engineering Systems of the Engineering Systems Division. He continued to teach regular courses at MIT until his final retirement to Emeritus status in 2013 at the age of 81. In 1993, MIT recognized his superior teaching performance with a 10 year appointment as a MacVicar Faculty Fellow. From 1983 to 1985, he also served as Associate Chairman of the Faculty at MIT and was appointed Senior Associate Dean of the Sloan School from 1993 to 1998. In addition to his academic activities, he was a strong advocate of the importance of student participation in competitive intercollegiate athletics as part of the university educational experience and served as Chair of the MIT Athletic Board for over 25 years and as a faculty representative to several NCAA Conventions. Prof. Allen's research was known for ground-breaking studies on the problem solving and communication behaviors of engineers and scientists, on the interaction of organizational structure and behavior, the role of technological gate-keepers in effective technological knowledge and information transfer, the influence of architectural layout on human communication behavior, international technology transfer, reward systems for technical professionals, and the impact of organizational structure on project performance. It was during this research that he first explicated the role of the technological gatekeeper in technology transfer and developed the Allen Curve which quantified the exponential drop in frequency of communication between engineers as the distance between them increases. These principles have ultimately had a very strong influence upon the evolution of commercial architectural design with signature examples being the BMW Research Center in Munich, the Decker Engineering Building in New York, the Steelcase Corporate Development Center in Michigan and the Volkswagen Assembly and Delivery Center in Dresden. In addition to work with the defense aircraft industry as part of the Lean Aircraft Initiative, he also engaged in long-term research targeting the pharmaceutical industry, addressing issues which confront these industries including project management, changing industry structure and the impact of government regulations on innovation. Subsequent to a sabbatical appointment as a visiting Research Fellow at the University of Manchester in England in 1969, Professor Allen, an Irishman to the core, spent many rewarding decades working in Ireland and building life-long friendships and collaborations there, culminating in appointment as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University College Dublin from 1993, eventually serving as the founding Director of the National Institute of Technology Management (NITM) at the Smurfit School of Business from 1997 to 2004 and continuing as Chairman of its Academic Advisory Board to 2011. Professor Allen is the author of over 56 professional publications, including the book, Managing the Flow of Technology. Co-author of several books, including The Organization and Architecture of Innovation, Lean Enterprise Value – Insights from MIT's Lean Aerospace Initiative, and Architectural and Organizational Design, and co-editor of Information Technology and the Corporation of the 1990's : Research Studies, and Building Technology Transfer Within Research Universities : An Entrepreneurial Approach. In addition to his graduate degrees from MIT, he received a BS in Physics in 1954 from Upsala College. He has been recognized for overall professional achievement and specific contributions to the educational programs at numerous European universities by the receipt of multiple honorary degrees including a Dr. Mgt (Hon) from the Rijksuniversiteit Gent, in Ghent, Belgium in 1990, a ScD (Hon) from the Chalmers Tekniska Högskola in Göteborg, Sweden in 1992, a PhD (Hon) from the Linköpings Universitet in Linköping, Sweden in 2001 and a PhD (Hon) from the Universitat Ramon Llull in Barcelona, Spain in 2002. In addition to his professional achievements, Professor Allen will be fondly remembered by the many individuals whose lives he touched through his many years of dedicated volunteer service to youth sports in Lexington, MA and at Rosary Academy in Watertown, MA as an ice hockey and soccer coach and to Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Boston through participation in numerous fundraising activities and advisory committees at Rosary Academy in Watertown, MA, Malden Catholic in Malden, MA and Mt. St. Joseph's Academy in Brighton, MA. A devout Roman Catholic, Professor Allen also actively participated for many years as a member of the Parish Pastoral Councils at St. Bernard Parish in West Newton, MA, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Acton, MA and Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Parish in Waltham, MA, chaired the Faculty Advisory Committee of the Tech Catholic Committee at MIT, as well as serving as a member of the Archdiocese of Boston Ecumenical Council, chairing the Catholic/Jewish Committee and participating in the 1986 Archdiocesan Synod. A man of quiet humility and deep inner confidence, which enabled him to lift up all those around him, Prof. Allen used his God-given gifts not to self-enrich or self-aggrandize, but rather to improve the world around him. He will be best remembered for his kind nature and generous heart, giving of himself freely and without restraint, and for his limitless and complete dedication to his family. His MIT and worldwide network of academic colleagues will also remember him for outstanding professional achievements and a lifelong commitment to academic integrity. Due to the current health crisis, Funeral Services will be private. Interment will be in Springfield Cemetery, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. Remembrances may be made in Tom's name to the MIT Tech Catholic Community (www.tcc.mit.edu/donate) or the Franciscan Food Center (www.stanthonyshrine.org/giving/gift). To sign online condolence, visit www.gatelyfh.com

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