PI Mourns Passing of Columnist Dickeson

PASADENA, CA—Roger Dickeson, 85, a printing industry consultant and writer whose “Dickeson on Productivity” column was a staple of PRINTING IMPRESSIONS magazine for more than 25 years, succumbed to cancer on Wednesday.

A 1951 graduate of Creighton University who practiced law for 13 years, Mr. Dickeson also earned an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1948. As a Marine Corps captain and pilot officer, he flew roughly 50 missions in the South Pacific during World War II.

Mr. Dickeson left law in 1964 to become CEO of Nebraska Farmer Co., which published Nebraska Farmer and Colorado Rancher and Farmer and operated two printing plants. There he became enamored with the web offset printing process and the developing computer technology for printing. He helped found the Computer Section of the Printing industries of America.

After stints as CEO for Mid-America Webpress in Lincoln, NE, and Los Angeles Lithograph in Redondo Beach, CA, Mr. Dickeson helped found PREM Associates Consulting in 1979. He started writing for PRINTING IMPRESSIONS around this time, and later served in executive roles for Rumford Press in Concord, NH and then-Arandell-Schmidt in Menomonee Falls, WI.

Mr. Dickeson provided productivity consulting for dozens of printing companies. Known as the father of the War on Waste, he has authored several books including his most recent, Monday Morning Manager. His final Printing Impressions column appeared in June.

He is survived by his wife, Pat, three children and one grandchild.