Stanford ENGINEERING
Management Science and Engineering

Engineering-Economic Systems at Stanford

The timeline on this page includes events related to the historical department of Engineering-Economic Systems (EES). 

This page covers EES from the time it was formed as a department in 1967 until it merged with Industrial Engineering-Engineering Management to form MS&E in 2000, including EES's merger with Operations Research (OR) to create the department of EES-OR in 1996. 

MS&E main timeline

For timelines specific to MS&E's other legacy departments, please click below:

Industrial Engineering-Engineering Management
Operations Research

Engineering-Economic Systems

1960s

Ronald Howard, ca. 1999 | National Academy of Engineering

1960

The Ford Foundation grants the School of Engineering funds for the development of areas including Engineering-Economic Systems (EES).

1964

The Institute of Engineering-Economic Systems is created within the School of Engineering.

1966

Ronald Howard coins the term "Decision Analysis" in the title of a paper, kickstarting the field.

1967

Engineering-Economic Systems becomes an independent department within the School of Engineering.

1969

David Luenberger publishes his seminal book, Optimization by Vector Space Methods.

EES department offices were at Engineering Corner | Richard Cottle

1970s

Awards & Recognition - 1970s (EES):

  • David Luenberger is elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (1975)
  • William Linvill is elected as a Member of the National Academy of Engineering (1971)
  • William Perry is elected as a Member of the National Academy of Engineering (1970)
William K. "Bill" Linvill, professor of electrical engineering, the first chair of the EES institute and department | Jose Mercado

1974

James Sweeney is appointed Director of the Office of Energy Systems Modeling and Forecasting of the US Federal Energy Administration. His experience leads to generating energy modeling, economics, and policy activities within EES upon his return to Stanford.

1976

The Energy Modeling Forum (EMF) is created "to foster better communication between the builders and users of energy models," according to an article by Hillard Huntington, James Sweeney, and John Weyant.

1977

IE-EM, EES, and OR move their offices to the newly-constructed Frederick Emmons Terman Engineering Center.

Terman Engineering Center sketch, date unknown | Stanford University Planning Office

Terman Engineering Center under construction, 1970s | Stanford University Planning Office
Terman Engineering Center, completed, 2005 | Sheldon Breiner

1980s

1980

David Luenberger is appointed chair of EES.

David Eddy launches the modern guidelines movement in healthcare with a study to develop recommendations for screening for cancer. His study reveals that, at the time, mammography screening in women under 50 was exposing them to more future cancer risk than it was preventing.

David Luenberger, chair of EES, ca. 2000s | National Academy of Engineering

Awards & Recognition - 1980s (EES):

  • Siegfried Hecker elected as a Member of the National Academy of Engineering (then Director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory) (1988)

1990s

James Sweeney, chair of EES and later EES-OR, ca. 1996

Awards & Recognition - 1990s (EES):

  • Ronald Howard elected as a Member of the National Academy of Engineering (1999)

1991

James Sweeney is appointed chair of EES.

1994

William Perry is appointed US Secretary of Defense.

1996

EES and OR merge to form EES-OR, chaired by James Sweeney.

The first Snowmass Workshop on Climate Change Impacts and Integrated Assessment of Climate Change is held.

William Perry, professor of EES and former US Secretary of Defense, 1994 | US Department of Defense

MS&E main timeline

Legacy department timelines:

Industrial Engineering-Engineering Management
Operations Research