War and Peace: The First 25 Years of or in Great Britain

This paper identifies a number of events and circumstances, which contributed in Great Britain during the period 1938–1963 to the development and adoption of OR outside the military and defence concerns. I show how the OR club formed a focus for industrial activity and the development of the subject. The early growth in education and training provision will also be traced to indicate its influence on the direction of OR and its acceptance as an academic discipline.