Multi-Generational OR

Two years ago I ran into a paper published in Operations Research by my father, Ronald Gue, in 1966.  The title is “Signal Flow Graphs and Analog Computation in the Analysis of Finite Queues.”  My father started a company not long after that, and now is Chairman and CEO of Phoenix Health Systems, a hospital information systems consulting firm. I realized that I too had a pub in OR (co-authored with John Bartholdi), and that led me to wonder how many Parent-Child pairs had published in OR, and whether there were any instances of three generations having published there.

Through a short exchange of emails among “people who should know” (including former editors of OR), I identified four pairs:

1. Robert and Bill Cooper,
2. Ronald and Kevin Gue,
3. Frederick and Mark Hillier (who have also co-authored a textbook), and
4. Andres and Gerald Weintraub.

I should note right off the bat that my father and I are by far the least of these in the OR community!

My oldest daughter is currently pursuing her Master’s degree, but alas, in mechanical engineering, so we are unlikely to be the first three-generation family to publish. (I do have seven children behind her, so have not given up hope!).

If I have missed any pairs—and almost certainly I have—please let me know.  Better, if I have missed a three generation family, send that along as well. It would also be interesting to hear similar stories for other journals in our field.