Joseph M. Juran

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   In 1945 many quality associations began forming around the world.  The benefits and passion surrounding quality and industrial activities were gaining momentum.  Almost 40 years earlier, Romania would see the face of one, Joseph Juran.  As one of six children Mr. Juran grew up with two sisters who shared his passion for learning.  Juran would live first in România and then in Humorului for only a short time before his family would settle in Minneapolis.  Here Juran would earn his High School degree from Minneapolis South High School in 1920.

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   4 years later Mr. Juran would set out into the world with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota. 

  Shortly after his graduation from the University of Minnesota Mr. Juran went to work for Bell Labs in the complaint department.  It was at this time that Mr. Juran was selected to receive training in a program that Bell Laboratories was involved in.  The program used statistical techniques to monitor and improve quality in the organization.  In 1928 Juran's efforts earned him the titled of department chief.  One year later Juran's talents and phenomenal performance would be rewarded again as he moved up in the organization.   In 1941, Juran stumbled across the work of Vilfredo Pareto and began to apply the Pareto principle to quality issues (for example, 80% of a problem is caused by 20% of the causes). This is also known as "the vital few and the trivial many". In later years, Juran preferred "the vital few and the useful many" to signal the remaining 80% of the causes should not be totally ignored.
  In time Dr. Juran would be invited to to Japan by the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers to teach the principles of quality management as the economy recovered from World War 2.  Along with his colleague W. Edwards Deming, Juran would receive the Second Order of the Sacred Treasure award from the Emperor Hirohito of Japan.  Dr. Juran later published the lectures he gave in japan in a book entitled: The Managerial Breakthrough.  In 1979 Dr. Juran founded the Juran Institute which is still actively alive today.  

Reference: The Juran Institute, Wikipedia and ASQ.

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