Obituary: Arnold Weber was Dean of GSIA, CMU Provost
Arnold Weber, a former provost and dean at Carnegie Mellon University who went on to become president at the University of Colorado and Northwestern University, died on Aug. 20. He was 90.
Weber began his academic administration career at CMU as dean of the Graduate School of Industrial Administration from 1973 to 1977, and he served as university provost and professor of economics and public policy from 1977 to 1980. He left CMU to become president of the University of Colorado from 1980 to 1985, before becoming Northwestern’s 14th president from 1985-1994.
At Northwestern, he was recognized as a transformative president, putting Northwestern on solid financial footing, and strengthening schools and academic departments across the university.
Weber received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where George Shultz, who later became a cabinet member under three presidents, was his adviser. Shultz became a dean at the University of Chicago and recruited Weber to the faculty of its Graduate School of Business, where Weber taught from 1958 until 1973. During those years, Shultz and Weber were recognized among the nation’s leading labor economists. The two also worked closely at the Office of Management and Budget in the Nixon White House.