Peter F. Drucker, one of the most influential management theorists of the 20th century, died Nov. 11 at his home in Claremont, California. He was 95. Drucker’s career as a writer, consultant and teacher spanned nearly 75 years. The author of 41 books that have been translated into 37 languages, Drucker pioneered the ideas of privatization and the corporation as a social institution. He coined the terms “knowledge workers” and “management by objectives.” His groundbreaking work turned management theory into a serious discipline, and he influenced or created nearly every facet of corporate management application.

Most recently, Drucker was the Marie Rankin Clarke Professor of Social Sciences and Management at Claremont Graduate University, where he wrote and consulted up to the time of his death. In 1987, the university named its Graduate School of Management after him. It was later changed to the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management, in recognition of Drucker and Ito’s longtime professional partnership. In 2002, President George W. Bush awarded Drucker the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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