Manfred Kochen

Manfred Kochen (1928-1989) was a American information science and computer researcher.

Manfred Kochen
Credit: rosefirerising. (1987). Flikr. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Life

Manfred Kochen was born on July 4, 1928 in Vienna, Austria, and came to the USA as a child. He earned a BS (1950) in Physics from MIT and an MA (1951) and PhD (1955) in mathematics from Columbia University, New York.

He was a lecturer at Columbia University, New York City, 1950-1951; Mathematician at Biot & Arnold, New York City, 1950-1953 & Paul Rosenberg Associates, Mount Vernon, NY, 1953-1955. He was also a programmer-analyst in von Neumann's computer project at the Institute Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, 1953-1955. Kochen Manager was a scientist and member of the technical staff at the International Business Machines Corporation Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York, 1956-1964.

In 1965 Kochen moved to the University Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he had various roles. He was a professor of information science in the University of Michigan Mental Health Research Institute (MHRI) from 1965, and from 1980, adjunct professor of computers and information systems in the Business School and chairman of the sociotechnological systems area of the Doctor of Philosophy Program in Planning, 1984-1987.

He died in 1989 in Colorado.

Contributions

Worked on the Neumann computer project at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study, 1953-55; research mathematician, IBM, 1955-1964; Univ. of Michigan, 1965-1989. Consultant to a wide variety of scientific organizations.

Kochen believed that "authoritative, accurate, easy to access, and easy to understand information could some day be provided to anyone who sought it on almost any topic of interest. He saw collaboration as the key to solving many large problems--in this saw an opportunity for efficient and effective communication by personal networking, avoiding the slow established organizational channels that often separate us" (In Memoriam).

At IBM, he analyzed information needs of scientists and also studied and evaluated information systems. until his death in 1989 in Colorado.

Publications

Kochen wrote more than 8 books and numerous articles relating to information science, including Information for Action and The Growth of Knowledge. Garfield (1989, 168) lists 28.

Further reading

For additional biographical information see: Garfield, E. (1989), Manfred Kochen: In memory of an Information Scientist Pioneer qua World Brainist. Current Comments, No. 25, June 19, 1989. Online copy at: http://garfield.library.upenn.edu/essays/v12p166y1989.pdf

A bibliometric evaluation of his work is: Lancaster, F.W. Bushur, S. & Low, Y.M. (1993), "Kochen's influence examined bibliometrically." Library Trends, Spring93, Vol. 41, p549- 566; 18p,1993, 18p

Also: DeBeer, C.S. & Roux, P.J.A. "Manfred Kochen and the growth, integration, and fragmentation of knowledge." South African Journal of Library & Information Science, September 1993, Vol. 61, p101- 108; 8p,1993, 8p.

Further reading

• Garfield, Eugene. "Manfred Kochen: In Memory of an Information Scientist Pioneer qua World Brain-ist." Current Comments 25 (June 19, 1989): 166-169. [1]
• "Manfred Kochen." Prabook Biographical details. [2]

Papers

Location #1

• Papers dates:
• Size:
• Includes: Only limited information in the IBM Archives. See separate IBM entry.
• Finding aid:
• Source:

Location #2 University of Michigan Library (Ann Arbor, MI)

• Papers dates:
• Size:
• Includes: Name appears scattered throughout multiple collections held by the library, but there is no dedicated collection for Kochen. Catalog can be searched at the link below:
• Source: https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/catalog