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Jerome B. Cohen, former dean of Northwestern University's Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, died unexpectedly of an apparent heart attack on Nov. 7 [1999].
"We've lost a wonderful leader and a great friend," said President Henry S. Bienen. "I express my deep condolences to Dean Cohen's wife, Lois, and her family. Jerry was devoted to Northwestern and was an important leader for the entire University."
After 13 years as McCormick's dean, Mr. Cohen retired at the end of the 1998-99 academic year to return to teaching. The McCormick School made extraordinary gains during his tenure.
"Over 40 years, Jerry had a profound impact on the development of the University," said Provost Lawrence B. Dumas. "He was one of our most distinguished scientists and engineers and was an innovative leader in the strategic development of the McCormick School."
The quality of the faculty, more than 60 percent of whom were recruited during Mr. Cohen's tenure, has grown significantly. Twelve faculty members, including Mr. Cohen, have been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering. McCormick has the highest percentage ‹ 10 percent ‹ of female faculty among major engineering schools.
Externally supported research activity grew nearly three-fold to nearly $30 million. New centers were established to facilitate faculty research. Mr. Cohen, an expert in metals and materials, personally served as principal or co-principal investigator for more than $13 million in external research.
Gifts from private sources grew from $3.5 million during Mr. Cohen's first year as dean to $12 million last year. Unrestricted annual alumni giving nearly doubled. Total private contributions to McCormick exceeded $100 million during his tenure, including the $30 million gift from the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation and funds to establish nine endowed professorships and support fellowships, curricular development and equipment.
The teaching and research infrastructure of the school was improved and enlarged. The 730,000 gross square feet of the Technological Institute building have been totally reconstructed at a cost of $125 million, and the Materials and Life Sciences building (200,000 gross square feet) was added at a cost of $45 million.
"Jerry loved Northwestern," said Lois Cohen. "He was proud to be associated with the school for almost 40 years. His contributions were legendary. There are not enough words to describe the loss his family feels."
The national reputation of the school has grown steadily. The school's overall rank among all U.S. engineering schools in the U.S. News and World Report rankings rose from 37 in 1990 to 13 in 1998. Three McCormick programs are ranked among the top five nationally, and five are ranked among the top 10.
An imaginative new interdisciplinary six-course undergraduate program, called Engineering First, was developed to enable students to experience directly the elements of thinking as an engineer, rather than taking a number of courses on basic subjects, each studied in isolation. "Jerry believed traditional engineering curricula turned people off," said President Bienen.
In addition, the undergraduate Cooperative Engineering Program (Co-op) has been rejuvenated, with participation increasing more than three-fold; roughly a third of undergraduates now participate in Co-op, many of them in overseas placements.
Mr. Cohen built on the long-standing joint programs with medicine and music to establish additional undergraduate honors programs with law, journalism, education, management and the Graduate School. The joint masters program in business and engineering (the Master of Manufacturing Management) is arguably the nation's premier program of its kind.
"Jerry came to the deanship with great reluctance but did a fantastic job," said longtime colleague Donald P. Jacobs, dean, Kellogg Graduate School of Management. "We were disappointed when he decided to return to research and teaching, his greatest loves, but we understood. McCormick has prospered mightily under his tenure, and we are extraordinarily saddened that he will not be able to return to his beloved laboratory."
The quality of the student body increased significantly under Mr. Cohen's leadership. McCormick has the third highest percentage of African American students in the Big Ten (8.8 percent) and one of the highest graduation rates (90 percent) of all engineering schools. The percentage of female students is the second highest among major engineering schools.
"Jerry Cohen was able to advance engineering at Northwestern to the point of being an 'engineering school second to none' ‹ the challenge put to the school in the 1940s by its major benefactor Walter P. Murphy," said Steve Carr, associate dean of undergraduate engineering.
While serving as dean, Mr. Cohen continued to carry out his research on the role of x-ray diffraction as a central tool allowing scientists and engineers to understand the nature of materials.In addition, he helped initiate the development of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory, the world's brightest synchrotron radiation research facility. Having obtained multi-million dollar funding from Dow Chemical and the DuPont Corporation, he also oversaw the development of one of the leading experimental research stations at the APS.
"Jerry loved the school and the students and felt that engineering was very important, that it impacted so many other fields," said Judith Cara Hicks, who worked with Mr. Cohen as his assistant for 10 years. "He was a real humanitarian and followed a strong sense of ethics. These qualities were borne out in what he accomplished at Northwestern."
A member of the Northwestern faculty since 1959, Mr. Cohen held several patents, including one for a rapid portable x-ray device for measuring residual stresses in structural metals in the field. He was the author of more than 300 publications and four books.
During his career, he received numerous awards, including the Howe Medal of the American Society for Metals, in 1981, and the Acta Metallurgica Gold Medal, in 1992. In addition to being elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1993, Mr. Cohen was a fellow of the American Society for Metals and a fellow of The Metallurgical Society.
Mr. Cohen received a bachelor's degree in metallurgy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1954 and a Sc.D. in metallurgy from MIT in 1957.
Services were held Tuesday at Congregation B'nai Emunah, Skokie. Mr. Cohen is survived by his wife Lois; a daughter, Elissa Halpern; a son, Andrew; a sister, Rita Copperman; and four grandchildren.
The Cohen family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, in care of the Dean's Office.
Cohen memorial to be held Feb. 24
A memorial service for the late Jerome B. Cohen, who served as dean of the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 24 at Alice Millar Chapel.
A reception will follow at Guild Lounge in Scott Hall.
Mr. Cohen died Nov. 7 at his home.
Masahiro Meshii, John Evans Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, will give the introductory remarks at the service.
Other speakers will be President Henry S. Bienen; Stanton Cook, member of the McCormick Advisory Board and former publisher, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of The Tribune Company; Julia Weertman, Walter P. Murphy Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering; Judith Cara Hicks, assistant to the McCormick dean; Boris W. Batterman, Walter S. Carpenter Professor of Engineering and Applied Physics at Cornell University, director emeritus of the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source Laboratory, and professional colleague of Mr. Cohen; and Aaron Krawitz, professor of engineering at the University of Missouri at Columbia and former student of Mr. Cohen.
Mr. Cohen served as dean of McCormick for 13 years before retiring at the end of the 1998-99 academic year to return to teaching. A member of the faculty since 1959, Mr. Cohen was the Frank C. Engelhardt Professor of Materials Science and Engineering.
