The INFORMS College on Simulation is pleased to recognize Julian Reitman with its first Lifetime Professional Achievement Award (LPAA). The award was presented during the opening ceremonies of the 1998 Winter Simulation Conference, recently held in Washington, DC. The Selection Committee consisted of Steve Roberts, David Goldsman, and Gordon Clark. The LPAA award, given at most once a year, was established "to recognize major contributions to the field of simulation that are sustained over most of a professional career." Certainly Julian Reitman epitomizes that ideal. His active career in simulation has covered more than forty years, virtually spanning the history of modern computer simulation.

Julian Reitman was on the frontier of simulation application and he pioneered many simulation developments. And he has generally been regarded as one of the "true" founders of the simulation community as we know it.

Almost from the beginning of his career in the late 1940s, Julian was thrust into the world of electronic analog computing and modeling. He was fortunate to make an early transition into the digital world in the 1950s, being asked to create computer and communications systems for airline reservations. This assignment permitted him the opportunity to work directly with complex systems of people and technology.

As with so much of the history of mankind, it is how we handle the confrontation with real problems that is ultimate test of our character. In Julian's case, out of a frustration with limited analysis tools, he "discovered" computer simulation. In fact, it was probably Julian's prodding that caused IBM to make GPSS, its internal simulation language, public. Julian was one of the first, and one of the few, to recognize the value of a "high-level" modeling approach to solving complex systems problems. In the 1960s, he was the leader of one of the first simulation application groups in industry -- at the Norden Division of United Aircraft Corporation.

Throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s, Julian and his team at Norden had a number of remarkable accomplishments. They created many simulation models of real systems: naval vessel performance, anti-submarine warfare, effectiveness of airborne radar, railed automated highways, air traffic control, message switching in communications, yield predication for integrated circuit production, and countless others. Activities were carried out throughout the world. Many of this models were the first such simulation applications and they promoted the tool in a number of ways.

While breaking new ground in simulation applications, Julian became a leading proponent for extensions and enhancements to GPSS that incorporated user features that foretold the future of simulation. Three deserve special mention; (1) memory-management facilities to execute models whose size exceeded physical memory, (2) interactive control of executing simulations with real-time debugging that allowed revision of model logic and data, and (3) animation of executing simulation models and the graphical display of simulation output. Remarkable accomplishments considering that it was 1970!

It would have been easy for Julian to limit his attention to the success of his team and his company, but that is clearly not in his nature. Julian believed that he had an obligation to the profession and to society. In the mid-1960s Julian played a leading role in the establishment of the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Group, where he served as chair, was on the administrative committee, was on the Editorial Board of IEEE Press, and an associate editor of two IEEE journals. Julian was named a Senior Life member in recognition of his service to IEEE.

Julian was one of the founders of the Winter Simulation Conference(WSC) first serving as the program chair for the WSC predecessor that was held in 1967. That conference arose out of Julian's concern that simulation applications have an outlet. Julian served as General Chair of the first WSC in 1968, published a proceedings, and established much of the structure and tradition of what we see in today's conference. Julian served in active leadership of the WSC and in 1976 was one of the founding members of the WSC Board, serving until 1985. He has been the longest serving board member representing any society.

Julian was also one of the pioneers in the establishment of the simulation literature. Julian published the first article on simulation to appear in the IEEE general-interest publication in 1974 and numerous articles since then in other journals. He won the best paper award at the Fifth Annual Simulation Symposium in 1972. As an outgrowth of his teaching courses in universities, in plants and locations throughout the world, he ultimately in 1971 wrote one of the first simulation textbooks, destined to be a classic, entitled Computer Simulation Applications: Discrete Event Simulation for Synthesis and Analysis of Complex Systems.

Julian's service to the simulation community continued through the 1980s and into the 1990s. Today he remains active in "retirement" by teaching and documenting the history of science and technology. Julian is quick to remind us all that while there has been considerable advances in the technology of simulation, predictions of performance are often inadequately understood and observed. They are inextricably tied to the human element and that understanding the role of people remains a significant area for future development.

Julian Reitman was among the first, if not the most prominent, to champion of the application of simulation, and this focus on simulation application has been his lifelong passion. Julian's professional contributions to the field of simulation, especially in the application of simulation, are striking not only for their impact on the field, but also for the remarkably long period over which that impact has been sustained.