Image courtesy of The New York Times

Last Saturday, Boris “Bob” Yavitz, who served eight years as the dean of Columbia Business School, died of prostate cancer.  He was 85.

After moving to the United States at 23, Yavitz earned two graduate degrees (in engineering and business) from Columbia and, after starting and managing his own development company, eventually became the dean of the Business School in 1975. 

Yavitz’s leadership revamped the school, returning both its spirit and its prestige; after retiring from the position, he remained a beloved professor. 

In addition, he served as the director and deputy chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 1976 to 1982.