Lionel Weiss, Professor Emeritus in Cornell’s School of Operations Research and Industrial Engineering, died suddenly on May 23. He was 76 years old. His death is a huge loss and comes as a shock because Lionel always seemed to have twice as much energy and vitality as anyone else. A memorial service is being planned with the family for August 27, 2000. For further details, contact the School of Operations Research and Industrial Engineering by phone 607-255 48756, email: moore@orie.cornell.edu or consult our web site: www.orie.cornell.edu.

Lionel grew up in New York City and received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at Columbia University. While teaching at the University of Virginia, he spent the 1952-53 academic year as a Cornell visiting professor and 4 years later returned as a permanent faculty member. Weiss' arrival came during a period when Cornell Statistics took a leap forward in prominence and influence with the hiring of four from Columbia University: Lionel, Bob Bechofer, Jack Kiefer and Jack Wolfowitz. Kiefer, Bechhofer and Weiss had all studied under Jack Wolfowitz .

Kiefer and Wolfowitz joined the Math faculty. Weiss and Bechhofer both joined Industrial Engineering. They were brought to what became the School of Operations Research and Industrial Engineering as key components of a vision to shape industrial engineering into a broader discipline, more sophisticated mathematically, and better suited to the rapidly evolving needs of industry for decision-making tools. Weiss and Bechhofer mentored many generations of graduate students in statistical research, and provided training in modern statistical methodologies to many future leaders who graduated from the College of Engineering.

Lionel was prolific and profound in his research contributions. He wrote more than 100 papers and published the text Statistical Decision Theory in (1961) in 1961, making that subject accessible to both students and practitioners. His work with Jack Wolfowitz on maximum probability estimators was both ingenious and important in overcoming deficiencies in the maximum likelihood theory introduced by Fisher, and developed further by Wald and Crámer. He did substantial work on asymptotic properties of order statistics, which produced "Weiss-type" point estimators, and on goodness-of-fit tests, where the "Weiss test" for independence of variables uses order statistics to overcome difficulties in how variables are grouped in a chi-squared goodness-of-fit test.

Lionel’s devotion to the School of ORIE and to Cornell was unsurpassed. He served as ORIE's Associate Director for Undergraduate Studies from 1986-1995. In addition, it was not unusual for him to teach an overload. He was a dedicated and extremely effective teacher and was the winner of multiple teaching awards (1973, 1980, 1983, and 1988). He was always anxious to be of service right up to the time that he assumed the title Professor Emeritus in 1994. In fact, the spirit of service continued well beyond retirement and he continued to serve as Associate Director on a special appointment during the 1994-95 academic year.

Lionel was certainly an intellectual leader of the statistics group in ORIE, but the most colorful Weiss anecdotes center around his high octane teaching style which combined great enthusiasm, clarity and expenditure of energy. When Lionel’s students reminisce about his classes, 9 of 10 use the word "speed" repeatedly. The others use variations such as "warp-speed", "lightspeed", "quicksilver," and "fastest chalk in the East". They remember him as someone who could think faster than anyone they have ever met, and who could also walk, talk, write and erase faster than anyone. Lionel’s chalkboard style was legendary and students enthuse with tongue in cheek about his ability to simultaneously write with one hand while erasing with the other, both at dazzling speed. Students always responded to him with affection, admiration and respect.

As a colleague in a technically-oriented discipline at a high-pressure university, Lionel brought a special blend of devotion, kindness, charm, grace, common sense and broad scholarship to our School and to Cornell. His literary allusions and gentle wit elevated discussions and deliberations, and occasionally maintained calm in a discussion headed in the wrong direction. He was humble, humorous, self-effacing and impossible not to like. He was a devoted family man who seemed to have no trouble deciding on the priorities of life.

A major attraction of working at a great university like Cornell is to contribute to an evolving excellence of enduring value and to have contact with the great intellects and personalities of an era. Lionel will be remembered as a distinguished and honorable contributor to his School, his University and his profession and we will miss one of our giants.