Tribute to Ted J. Gordon (1930-2024)
Brussels, May 29, 2024
On Tuesday 28 May 2024, the Brussels’Area Node of the Millennium Project paid tribute to Theodore J. Gordon (1930-2024).
As some of you may know, each room at The Destree Institute in Namur, Wallonia, which hosts the Node, is named after a role model whose legacy we want to pass on. Alongside offices named after Donella Meadows, Lise Thiry, Gaston Berger, Fernand Braudel, Aurelio Peccei, Robert Jungk, Eleonora Barbieri Masini among others, a large meeting room on the first floor of our building is now named after Ted Gordon.
Our will was to honor Ted, an aeronautical engineer, already famous for his contribution to the Apollo programme, who has served the foresight community so well. He is both as a pioneer in the methods he developed or improved (Trend Impact Analysis, Technology Sequence Analysis, Cross-Impact Analysis, Real-time Delphi, State if the Future Index, etc.) within the Rand Corporation, the Futures Group and, above all, The Millennium Project which he co-founded in 1996 in the framework of the American Council for United Nations University.
Marie-Anne Delahaut, President of the Millennia2025 Women and Innovation Foundation and co-chair of The Millennium Project Brussels Area Node, recalled Ted’s active presence in some initiatives of the Node and its European partners:
– at the international conference organised by the European Millennium Project Nodes Initiative (EUMPI) at the Aula Magna in Louvain-la-Neuve (Wallonia, BE) in 2005, The futures of European in the Global Knowledge Society, and the subsequent Planning Committee,
– at the 2008 Conference at the Palais des Congrès in Liège: Millennia2015, Women actors of development for the global challenges,
– at the 2012 international conference Millennia2015, An action plan for women’s empowerment at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, and the foresight training courses that followed this event and enabled dozens of participants from several continents to learn from this great futurist.
Since that time, we have continued to learn from Ted Gordon, still participating with him in various projects, in particular those in which the Millennium Project and The Destree Institute were involved with NATO and various services in the anticipation of terrorism [1].
The thoughts and gratitude of the Brussels-Node Area team, The Destree Institute and the Millennia2025 Women and Innovation Foundation go out to Ted and Ann’s family, as well as to his lifelong companions, foremost among them Jerry Glenn and Elizabeth Florescu.
You can see the photo of this celebration, with, from left to right, Marie-Anne Delahaut, Nikos Kastrinos, Thomas Deridder, Philippe Destatte, Frédéric Moray and Giovanna Sacco (Open Changin’ School Project).
From the moment I met Ted Gordon for the first time 24 years ago in Houston until recently, I have never stopped learning from his teachings, his advice and his kindness.
I experienced a very rich moment of complicity with him at UNESCO in Paris in 2012 when, under Marie-Anne’s initiative and leadership, we shared during two days after the Millennia2015 Conference the training of dozens of young women from Africa and Asia who wanted to be introduced to foresight.
I also remember Ted’s constant encouragement during our Millennium Project planning committee meetings. After each high-quality presentation – and there were many – he would regularly say something particularly curing: « this is really excellent ».
Thank you so much for everything you’ve given, dear Ted.
Philippe Destatte
@PhD2050
[1] Philippe DESTATTE, Elisabeta FLORESCU, Garry KESSLER, Hélène von REIBNITZ, Karlheinz STEINMÜLLER, Identifying Some Issues in the NATO Zone Through Trajectories About the Future of Terrorism and Counter-Terror Strategies, in Theodore J. GORDON e.a., Identification of Potential Terrorists and Adversary Planning, p. 16-24, NATO Science for Peace and Security Series – E: Human and Societal Dynamics, IOS Press, 2017.
Philippe DESTATTE, Counter-Terrorism in Europe 2030; Managing Efficiency and Civil Rights, in Theodore J. GORDON e.a., Identification of Potential Terrorists and Adversary Planning, p. 87-105, NATO Science for Peace and Security Series – E: Human and Societal Dynamics, IOS Press, 2017.