The Center for Supply Chain Research® is saddened to share that William Luther Grenoble, IV, familiarly known as “Skip,” passed away peacefully at home with his family last evening after an extended illness. Skip is survived by his wife Prudence and his children; Kirsten, Will, and Jake, as well as several grandchildren. As a former Naval officer who served in Vietnam, Grenoble will have military services held on a future date. The family has requested no cards, flowers, or donations at this time.
Grenoble joined the Smeal College of Business in 1987 as a Ph.D. candidate after an extensive and highly successful career in wholesale distribution. He went on to serve as the CSCR® Administrative Director from 1990 until 2000, and then as CSCR’s longest-serving Executive Director from 2000 until 2014, succeeding Dr. John Coyle. His research interests included customer service, benchmarking, the use of information technology in supply chain management, logistics complexity, and the role of transportation policy on logistics performance.
He was a member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, Council of Logistics Management, the Warehousing Education and Research Council, and the Distribution Committee of the National Defense Transportation Association, among other professional affiliations. Grenoble had also served on the executive board of the International Customer Service Association, and on the board and the North American leadership team of the Supply Chain Council. He held a Ph.D. from Smeal, an M.B.A. from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.
Though leaving an impressive and extensive professional legacy, Dr. Grenoble will be remembered best for his kind disposition and the lasting impact he made on many lives. Please join us in honoring the life of our esteemed friend and former colleague.