Everyone in the quality profession was saddened to learn that Dr. Juran passed away on February 28, 2008 at the age of 103. He made so many contributions to the field it would take volumes to describe them all. Many of us have used his Quality Control Handbook to navigate the Certified Quality Engineer exam. I have found his thoughts on upper level management and leadership very useful and possibly timeless. At the request of Jim Evans the editor to the Quality Management Journal I contributed the following quote for the introduction of Volume 15.  

“The thing I remember most about Juran was his response to questions about ideas that differed from his own. He never said that Deming, or anyone else for that matter, was wrong. He simply said it wasn’t consistent with what he had learned from his research and experiences. He recognized the limitations of his own learning and showed respect and appreciation for the experiences and views of others. His approach created an environment where people felt comfortable proposing and discussing diverse ideas and concepts. He was an inspiration and role model for scholars and practitioners alike.”

Evans, J. R., (2008) Introduction, Quality Management Journal. Vol. 15, No. 3, p. 4

Dr Juran Passes Away

Dr Joseph Juran

Photo: Dr Juran and yours truly in Hawaii.

I was a bit younger when this was taken in 1994.