1. HOMER M SARASOHN
“A LEADER’s main
obligation is to secure the
faith and respect of those
under him. The leader
must himself be the finest
example of what he would
like to see in his
followers.”
Presentation by
Soubhagya PJ
Prof. Nimal C Namboodiripad
2. SARASOHN - A short life history
Born in 1916 in the USA.
Took graduation in physics and worked for MIC Radio
Laboratory, designing radio transmitters.
During second world war, served as a paratrooper.
In 1946, was invited to Tokyo for rebuilding the
communication infrastructure of Japan.
Was successful in modernizing Japanese industry.
Returned back to U.S. in 1950.
Died on 28 September 2001 at the age of 85.
3. A glance at his career life…
Before coming to Japan
Raytheon manufacturing company in Waltham.
MIT Radiation Lab .
In Japan
Chief of Industry Branch - The Civil Communication Section.
After returning from Japan
Technical Advisor to the U.S Asst. Secretary for S&T.
Member of U.S delegation to Soviet Union and Egypt.
President of Engg.Management Society.
Director of Engg Communication - IBM.
Divisional Director - IEEE.
4. Father of Japanese Electronics Industry
Mr. Sarasohn was only 29 when General Douglas MacArthur,
Head of the Occupation Forces in Japan, summoned him to
Tokyo to restore Japan’s communication industry following its
destruction during World War II.
From 1946 to 1950 was Chief of the Industry Branch -
Occupation Army’s Civil Communication Section [CCS],
Mr.Sarasohn took the lead in helping Japan rebuild its capacity to
manufacture radio, telephone and telegraph equipment and
to assure the reliable quality of its industrial production.
All these were made possible by the CCS Management Seminar
in Tokyo and Osaka conducted by Mr.Sarasohn and Mr.Charles
Protzman.
5. CCS Management Seminar
The CCS Management Seminar covered a systems approach to
manufacturing, integrating customer satisfaction into continued
product development.The seminars taught industrial
engineering, cost control and the value of investing in R&D.
Quality, the managers were taught, is a measure of the
worthiness of the companies . The main stress of the course
was on quality.
The CCS Management Seminar was given for the next 25 years
by the Japan Management Association, after both men left
Japan in 1950.
Their text book, Fundamentals of Industrial Management is still
in print in Japan.
6. Why haven’t we heard much of poor
old Homer?
Because of the American quality guru W.Edwards Deming, a
master of self-promotion, who was brought to Japan to
continue the work of Sarasohn and Protzman. While Sarsohn
was MacArthur’s man, Deming was perceived as the Japan
Union of Scientists and Engineer’s man, which helped ensure
his place in history.
7. To conclude…
The Japanese electronics industry was born again,
switching from maximizing production to maximizing
yield. It has been understood in a way that the
industry never had before the significance of Homer
Sarasohn’s lessons in product quality. Homer was
preaching it in 1948, but the Japanese electronic
industry better understood it only in 1968.
The modern industry should be really grateful
to Mr.Homer Sarasohn.
