Richard Franke

The Loyola College in Maryland community is mourning the loss of Richard Franke, Ph.D., a professor of management and international business at Loyola’s Sellinger School of Business and Management. Franke passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 1. He was 71.

Franke, an expert in business productivity and performance, joined the Loyola faculty in 1983. After majoring in chemical engineering at Cornell University, he earned an MBA at the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in management from the University of Rochester. Prior to coming to Loyola, Franke taught at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the University of Wisconsin. He also held research positions with the National Academy of Sciences and the Management Research Center at the University of Rochester.

"Professor Franke was the consummate scholar. From the beginning of his career he worked with scholars of international reknown; including conducting leadership research with Bernard Bass and examining cultural dimensions of international business with Geert Hofstede,” said Christy DeVader, Ph.D., chair of Loyola’s management and international business department. “One of Professor Franke's most cited works was his re-analysis of the famous Hawthorne experiments at Western Electric. These works continue to shape the study of management and international business. Richard was always reading, questioning, and seeking to understand behavioral phenomena. He was a valuable member of the department and he contributed to the intellectual pursuits of his colleagues. But he was most devoted to igniting in his students the same passion and excitement for research that was the center of his professional life."

He is survived by his wife Elke, his sons Martin and Erik, and several grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Andrea.

Funeral arrangements are as follows:

Viewing:
Tuesday, Sept. 8
10:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Vaughn Green Funeral Home
4905 York Road
Baltimore, Md. 21212

Memorial Service:
Tuesday, Sept. 8
12:30 p.m.
Vaughn Green Funeral Home
Immediately following viewing

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Sherwood Gardens:
Stratford Green
c/o Brodie Management
P.O. Box 529
Timonium, Md. 21094

A memorial service will be held at Loyola at a later date.