Remembering Bob Mueller.

• Position: Obituary - Brief Article

WHEN I PUBLISHED Bob Mueller's article "A Cure for Unprofessional Board Syndrome" in the Summer '99 issue, I was not anticipating it to be the endnote to a wonderful body of literature of Bob's that we have published over the years. I knew Bob had been battling health problems, but when I spoke with him a few months prior about bringing his latest bit of governance wisdom to the attention of the DIRECTORS & BOARDS audience, he sounded as vital as ever.

Alas, just as the Summer edition was coming off press in August, Bob died. He was 86 years old.

Bob was a giant in the governance field. As an author of 18 books and countless articles, he was one of the early thinkers and writers from within the ranks of management to critique board processes. As a longtime board member and former chairman of the National Association of Corporate Directors, he played a major role in extending the influence of that organization, especially in helping to build and promote a strong educational curriculum. As a businessman, he had a long, illustrious career with Arthur D. Little, culminating as chairman of the firm from 1977-1986. He joined ADL after a distinguished tenure at Monsanto Co. (Perfectly reflective of his professional life, the headline of his obituary in the Boston Globe identified him as "chairman of A.D. Little board, author, chemist.")

And Bob was also an important figure here at DIRECTORS & BOARDS. He was tapped to be an inaugural author in our Vol. 1...