William Massy

The 1981 Lanchester Prize has been awarded to the book Planning Models for Colleges and Universities, written by a Stanford University team led by David S.P. Hopkins and William F. Massy.

The citation for the Prize reads as follows:

• "During the 1970's, institutions of higher education were confronted with increasing costs, decreasing returns from endowments, a decrease in the ability of most families to pay for higher education for their children, and a decline in the size of the traditional pool of applicants. These circumstances inspired many colleges and universities to develop planning models as decision-making aids and as vehicles for communicating problems and policies to the university community. A Stanford University team led by David S.P. Hopkins and William F. Massy was in the vanguard of this activity.
• "In Planning Models for Colleges and Universities, Hopkins and Massy have intertwined mathematical models, practical insight, and sensitivity to the subtleties of university administration. This excellently written book is the first comprehensive treatment of the diverse models that have been developed to help university planners chart the future of their institutions. Its comprehensive coverage unifies much of the previous work and demonstrates how Operations Research can contribute to this important decision-making process.
• "The models described in this book have had a substantial impact on planning the growth of Stanford. The models have also influenced planning decisions at many other institutions in the United States and in Europe.
• "In recognition of the enormous contribution to the advancement and use of Operations Research made by Planning Models for Colleges and Universities, we award it the 1981 Lanchester Prize."