Walter Isard was probably most famous for his pioneering work in the field of Regional Science, and for his early interest in topics like location theory, the subnational effects of business cycles, and how regions evolve. He taught regional analysis at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) and the University of Pennsylvania for many years before moving to Cornell University. He finished his career teaching regularly at Cornell -- to which he travelled from Philadelphia on a weekly basis by Greyhound bus!
Dr. Isard became a Quaker while he was an undergraduate and made a considerable contribution to the study of peace as did so many of his co-religionists. He was always interested in dynamical systems approaches to problems of peace, and in the application of rigorous and formal analytical techniques to complex problems, such as arms races and mediation processes.
In 1963 he convened a meeting of scientists at Malmo, Sweden and together they founded the Peace Research Society (International), which held annual meetings for the next decade and published the Papers from the conference in a distinguished series. In 1973 as the result of a series of heated debates at that year’s conference, the name was changed to the Peace Science Society (International) and the Society has continued to hold annual meetings under that name to date.
In 1958, Walter Isard had founded the Journal of Regional Science and he followed this up by establishing the Journal of Peace Science, which was later renamed Conflict Management and Peace Science. In both versions, the journal continued to exemplify Walter Isard’s belief that it was necessary to work scientifically on the causes and consequences of conflict. Among his many books, several published in the “Peace Science Studies” series, his formidably learned Conflict Analysis and Practical Conflict Management Procedures: An Introduction to Peace Science that was published in1983 stands out for its breadth and comprehensiveness.
Among those who have attempted to bring logical and mathematical rigor, as well as humanistic sympathy and understanding to the study of conflict, no name will stand higher than that of Walter Isard.
