Professor Emeritus Arthur Hurter Passes Away

Arthur P. Hurter Jr., a professor emeritus in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences (IEMS), passed away May 5, 2026, at age 93. The longest-serving chair of Northwestern IEMS, Hurter will be remembered for his efforts to build the department, his important academic contributions, and mentorship of students.

In 2001, Hurter retired from Northwestern after more than 30 years of teaching. During his career, Hurter was a faculty member of the Northwestern University Transportation Center, the Center for Information and Telecommunication Technology, and the Newspaper Management Center.

From 1968 to 1989, Hurter served as chair of IEMS. During his tenure, he helped establish the department that had been founded in 1958, contributing to IEMS’ growth into one of the nation’s most respected industrial engineering programs. 

“Art’s 20-year leadership tenure was foundational to our department. We owe much of our current strength and reputation to his early vision and dedication,” said Simge Küçükyavuz, the David A. and Karen Richards Sachs Professor and Chair of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences.

"Art’s steadfast leadership during the expansive years of industrial engineering guided it from the early days of operations research to today's breadth of industrial engineering and management science," said William White, professor of IEMS. "The students, the department, and the University have and are still benefiting from his significant contributions."  

Hurter was a senior member of professional organizations including the Operations Research Society of America, the Institute for Management Sciences, the Institute of Industrial Engineers, and the American Economic Association.

Over the course of his career, he published extensively in professional journals and co-authored several books. While much of his work focused on teaching, research, and departmental leadership, Hurter also remained active as a consultant, advising on facility site selection, logistics, and the evaluation of environmental regulations, particularly their spatial impacts.

His expertise made him a sought-after consultant for institutions including Argonne National Laboratory, the Illinois Institute for Environmental Quality, the Illinois Institute of Natural Resources, and the Chicago Police Department. He was also affiliated with professional organizations such as the American Economic Association, the Operations Research Society of America, and the Institute of Industrial Engineers, among others.

Hurter was passionate about preparing the next generation. During his career, Hurter directed around 30 PhD dissertations. In 2002 to honor that legacy, IEMS established the Hurter Academic Excellence Awards.

Hurter earned both a bachelor of science and a master of science degree in chemical engineering, and a master of arts degree and a PhD degree in economics, all from Northwestern.

Visitation is 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Donnellan Family Funeral Services in Skokie, Illinois, followed by a 12:30 p.m. funeral service. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Hurter’s name can be made to Misericordia Heart of Mercy or PAWS Chicago Animal Shelter.