OBIT/Leading Psychologist of Last Century, Dr. Elliott Jaques, Dies at 86; Legacy and Study of Work Continues.

Business Editors/City Desks/Health/Medical Writers

OBIT...

GLOUCESTER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2003

Dr. Elliott Jaques, one of the world's leading psychologists and a pioneer in human development theory, died on March 8th 2003 at Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Dr. Jaques became well known for identifying and coining the "mid-life crisis" and his breakthrough discovery that a person's capability to perform complex tasks is both a lifelong evolution and predictable. He is survived by his beloved wife, Kathryn Cason, his children, Gemma Jaques, Steven Cason and his wife, Liz Tarr, and Rebecca Cason, his grandchildren, Dahlia Oates, Ginny Oates and Maggie Cason.

During his extensive work with disparate organizations such as the U.S. Army and corporations around the world, Dr. Jaques was first to develop an objective scientific process for testing and measuring human behavior through a numeric and provable methodology. This breakthrough approach has been used for the selection of army generals, political leaders as well as managers in some of the world's largest businesses. This science is now recognized as one of the most important discoveries in its field, making Dr. Jaques one of the most referenced psychologists.

"What's most important is that his work be carried forward," said Kathryn Cason, Dr. Jaques wife. "It took 25 years for Elliott's work on midlife crisis to be accepted. We would now like people around the world to benefit from his work with greater immediacy and appreciation. Through the work of the scientific community and the Requisite Organization International Institute (ROII), we hope that Elliott's ideas will be discussed - even debated - in order to once again improve upon our understanding and ability to create better working environments and trust inducing social systems. This is what Elliott always strived for."

Dr. Jaques is the author of more than 20 books, including The Life and Behavior of Living Organisms (2002), Social Power and the CEO (2002), Requisite Organization (1996), Human Capability (1994) with Kathryn Cason, and General Theory of Bureaucracy (1976). Dr. Jaques is recognized throughout the world for the discoveries he made in the social sciences, contributing in a significant way to our understanding of human nature and social institutions. His life and work have been a great gift to the world.

Dr. Jaques' contributions are multi-disciplinary and include fundamental developments in our understanding of the meaning of work and in the evaluation and development of individuals engaged in work, as well a method for objectively measuring the complexity of work roles. Further, his contribution to the social sciences include an objective understanding of the nature of human potential capability and of its maturation throughout life from infancy through old age.

Nearly 60 theses have been developed based on the work of Dr. Jaques and more continue to be developed and written around the world. His work has changed and advanced family and business relationships dramatically over the past half century.

His Life and Times

Born in 1917 in Toronto, Canada, Dr. Jaques graduated with a B.A. Honors Science degree from the University of Toronto at the age of eighteen in 1935, an M.D. from Johns Hopkins Medical School at age twenty-three in 1939, and a Ph.D. in Social Relations from Harvard University. He was a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatry and was a Research Professor of Management Science at George Washington University in Washington, DC, and Honorary Professor of the University of Buenos Aires.

Jaques was a veteran of World War II, having served in the Canadian Army Medical Corps as a major. He also acted as a liaison to the British Army War Office Psychiatry Division.

He lived in England after World War II, where he worked with Melanie Klein and was a founding member of the Tavistock Institute. In 1964, he founded the School of Social Sciences at Brunel University in London, where he served as professor and head of school.

For the last 50 years, Jaques was involved in the consultancy research for science-based theory of behavior and system of organizational development and managerial leadership, or Requisite Organization. In 1952, he worked with the Glacier Metal Company Limited in London, the fruits of his research being "Jaques' Stratified Systems Theory," helping many businesses with organizational development, including Sir Roderick Carnegie at CRA in Australia.

Dr. Jaques was awarded the Joint Staff Certificate of Appreciation presented by then-Gen. Secretary of State Colin Powell on behalf of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces for "outstanding contributions in the field of military leadership theory and instruction to all of the service departments of the United States" and the Harry Levinson Award of the Consulting Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association for "a distinguished career and impressive accomplishments."