Robert O. Herrmann: 1932-2006

With Bob Herrmann's untimely and unexpected death on Apr 3, 2006, American Council on Consumer Interests (ACCI) lost an early and influential leader and a career-long good citizen of the association. The field of consumer affairs lost a pioneer in the field, an influential scholar, and a mentor to many over his 40-year career. Seeking to understand the development and future of the consumer movement, Herrmann brought to bear both economics and resource mobilization theory from sociology to provide an explanation of the rise of the consumer movement and the conditions for its perpetuation. His framework remains unchallenged 36 years after it was first published. A quiet gentleman, Herrmann measured his words carefully and practiced the art of the concise. He was full of integrity making him slow to criticize. When the occasion demanded, he was constructive, he never found fault nor was mean spirited, but always focused on what might be done in the future.