John D. Hromi collection

John Hromi, RIT professor emeritus and namesake of the John D. Hromi Center for Quality and Applied Statistics, died May 3, [2015]. He was 94. Professor Hromi was known internationally as an authority in industrial statistics and quality control. The RIT flag will be lowered to half staff in his memory on June 6.

Professor Hromi, originally from western Pennsylvania, earned degrees from Carnegie Institute of Technology, Clemson College, University of Pittsburgh and University of Detroit. At the same time, he spent nearly 30 years working in industry, most notably at U.S. Steel and Ford Motor Co., and doing international and local consulting. He was a World War II veteran and earned the rank of captain in the U.S. Army Signal Corps Reserve.

Professor Hromi came to RIT in 1981 as the Frederick H. Minett Distinguished Professor, and in 1983, he established the Center for Quality and Applied Statistics. The center achieved international recognition for excellence in the fields of quality management and applied statistics. Today, the center is known for its graduate-level, non-degree courses in quality management, quality engineering and industrial statistics. The center is also hailed for helping to expand and strengthen the graduate program; presenting quality management and technology seminars, training, auditing and consulting programs; and for providing statistical computer access analysis and support through the Mason E. Wescott Statistics Laboratory.

Professor Hromi was president of the American Society for Quality and in 2004 was named an honorary member, bestowed upon him by the Canadian Society for Quality, the Philippine Society for Quality Control, the Czech Society for Quality and the International Academy for Quality.

“Dr. Hromi achieved something that only a very few of us ever achieve in academia: to follow one’s intellectual passion and transform that passion into a nationally recognized academic center of excellence in one’s area of expertise,” said Harvey Palmer, dean of RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering. “The John D. Hromi Center for Quality and Applied Statistics is a testament to his vision, his tenacity and his mastery of the field. John was a true leader, both here at RIT and internationally in his profession. We at RIT are extremely fortunate that John agreed to come to RIT to build both academic and industry outreach programs in quality and applied statistics.”

The John D. Hromi Center for Quality and Applied Statistics is part of the Kate Gleason College of Engineering and is located in the Hugh L. Carey Hall. Created in 1983, the John D. Hromi Center for Quality and Applied Statistics (CQAS) has achieved international recognition for excellence in the fields of quality management and applied statistics. Dr. John D. Hromi came to RIT in 1981 as the Frederick H. Minnett Distinguished Professor and established the Center for Quality and Applied Statistics. The Center is named in recognition of Dr. Hromi's accomplishments and a new building was dedicated in 1992 with the presence of Dr. Joseph M. Juran, celebrated international authority in industrial statistics and quality control. Dr. Hromi has a well-established reputation as an international authority in industrial statistics and quality control and has addressed conferences around the world.

https://www.rit.edu/kgcoe/cqas/news/dr-john-d-hromi-has-passed-away-memorial-service-june-6-100-pm-rit Retrieved January 2016