News

Professor Nigel Howard (September 5, 1934 to April 1, 2008) — a tribute

Apr 02, 2008

It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of our colleague and friend, Professor Nigel Howard. He made a bold, innovative and sustained contribution to our understanding of the nature of modern conflicts. His view that these conflicts must be addressed through the resolution of "confrontations" — i.e. changing people's intentions — has influenced military thinking in the US and the UK. In 2005, General Sir Rupert Smith, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) of NATO, acknowledged Nigel's ideas in his seminal work The Utility of Force.

In 2007, the US Department of Defense acknowledged Nigel's tireless and unique commitment to the improvement of our nation's Command and Control capabilities by awarding him the Enduring Achievement Award.

Significantly, Nigel was able to organize his ideas as a coherent body of theory, coined Drama Theory, which resulted in the development of a framework and decision support system (Confrontation Manager™) creating the opportunity for these ideas to be utilized by a wider audience.

We will miss Nigel's enthusiasm for ideas, his boundless energy and his strong-willed spirit. Fortunately he leaves behind a legacy of ideas and a group of people committed to carrying on his work. In a world of negative thinkers he remained the eternal optimist — convinced that if the world managed confrontations wisely resolution could be accelerated.

Our hearts go out to his wife of 37 years, Moya, and his children who embody his creative spirit.