Sid Saltzman

Sid Saltzman

Sid Saltzman passed away on September 23, 2020, at Kendal of Ithaca at age 94.

Born to immigrant parents and raised in Connecticut, Sid enlisted in the U.S. Navy during WWII after graduating from high school. As part of the Navy's V-12 program, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in 1946. After his service, he remained in the Naval Reserve while employed as an engineer by Combustion Engineering, Inc., in New York City and later as an industrial engineer by the Renwal toy company in Mineola, N.Y.

Sid married his beloved wife, Lory, in 1950. After completing a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering at Columbia University in 1951, he was recalled to Naval service, this time on a small minesweeper, the USS Tumult. A serious injury sustained aboard ship while operating in rough seas ended any thoughts of a Navy career. Sid then returned to his civilian career, working at Royal Typewriter Company. When Royal merged with McBee, he worked for Royal McBee in Port Chester, N.Y., developing software for Royal McBee's LGP-30, an early commercial computer, and he resumed studying at Columbia.

In 1958 Sid was offered an opportunity to teach at Cornell, so he, Lory, and their two young children moved to Ithaca, where he studied operations research, earning a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering in 1963. Sid sometimes claimed that this was unintentional - having tired of his job, he accepted a position as a teaching assistant at Cornell, only to learn on arrival that being a Ph.D. student was part of the deal.

Intentional or not, it turned out well. Sid remained at Cornell until his retirement. He joined Cornell's Industrial Engineering faculty after receiving his Ph.D., serving as an assistant professor until 1968 and as associate director of the Office of Computer Services from 1966 to 1968. As his research evolved toward economics, Sid found a better fit in Cornell's Department of City and Regional Planning and moved to that department as an associate professor in 1968. He became a full professor in 1971, the year the department split into two. In 1974 Sid became chair of one of them: the Department of Policy Planning and Regional Analysis. He played a leading role in reunifying and reorganizing the two departments in 1976 to form the present Department of City and Regional Planning. He became chair of that department and remained in that position until 1983. He was named Professor Emeritus in 2009.

Sid is considered one of the pioneers of regional science, the quantitative analysis of regional economic and social systems. He was instrumental in creating Cornell's Graduate Field of Regional Science in 1972 and worked throughout his career to strengthen the program. His research interests focused on econometric modeling, economic development, and public policy analysis in both the United States and abroad. He published research on these and related topics in numerous scholarly journals, professional reports, and two books.

Sid was a lead developer of an econometric model for New York State. He was recognized for his work forecasting energy policy impacts, using the New York State model to predict energy demand for the New York Power Authority. He also spent a sabbatical modeling energy policy impacts as a Senior Research Fellow for Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., in Washington, D.C. His work in econometric and energy modeling was supported as well by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Consumer Law Center, New York State Public Service Commission, New York State Consumer Protection Board, and the New York State Energy Office. He taught, lectured, and consulted on managing regional finance and other matters internationally, including in Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Russia, Puerto Rico, Italy, Trinidad, and England. He received additional funding from the National Science Foundation, NATO, the Fulbright-Hayes program, and the Department of Energy. Sid co-organized significant conferences and workshops on energy planning, large-scale social science models, regional science, and spatial econometrics, and was a regular contributor to the department's Seminar in Regional Science, Planning, and Policy Analysis.

Sid's teaching encompassed courses in quantitative methods and modeling, including statistics, econometrics, input-output analysis, social accounting matrix models, regional science, and quantitative public policy analysis. He loved working with students and helping them achieve their academic goals, and he enjoyed hearing from them as they established themselves after leaving Cornell. His devotion to education was not confined to Cornell. He was honored and exceptionally pleased to be appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo to serve on the Board of Trustees of Tompkins Cortland Community College. In all endeavors, Sid always hoped to improve the lives of others.

Sid loved people, both working with people and being with people. He supported and appreciated theater, music, and opera, taking in many summer performances at Glimmerglass. Always happy to meet new people and make new friends, he most enjoyed close relationships, celebrations, travels, and time spent with family, friends, and colleagues near and far. His warmth and kindness touched all who came in contact with him.

Sid is survived by his wife Lory and their children Matthew (Ellen Weeks) and Nancy (Steve Ellner) and two grandchildren, as well as cherished cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother William Saltzman and sister-in-law Irene (Kramer) Saltzman of Florida.

The family is most grateful for the memories of Sid shared with us by family and friends, colleagues, acquaintances, former students, and caregivers, who have experienced Sid's warm, engaging spirit and have made our loss a little more bearable.

A memorial in celebration of Sid's life will be held when we can be together again safely. Meanwhile in memoriam, please consider donations in Sid's memory to the Ithaca Health Alliance, Hospicare at 172 East King Road, Loaves and Fishes of Tompkins County, or a worthy charity of your choosing.