Robert N. Anthony

Robert Newton Anthony (September 6, 1916 – December 1, 2006) was an American organizational theorist, and professor of management control at Harvard Business School, known for his work in the field of management control systems.

Born in Orange, Massachusetts to Charles H. and Grace Newton Anthony in 1916, Anthony skipped a grade in elementary school and attended high school in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

There he played the saxophone in the school band, and graduated in 1933 at the age of 16.

In 1938 Anthony graduated from Colby College, and in 1942 received his master's degree in business administration from Harvard, and in 1952 his Doctor of Commercial Science degree.

Anthony was a Harvard Business School faculty member from 1940 to 1982.

In 1942 he became research assistant to Ross G. Walker (1891-1970), Harvard Professor of Business Administration since 1936.

After his service in the US Navy from 1943 to 1946 he returned to Harvard, where he was appointed Full professor in 1956.

In 1965 he took another leave of absence from Harvard to serve as the Under Secretary of Defense under his friend, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara.

In 1965 Anthony served as comptroller at the US Department of Defense under Robert S. McNamara, where he supervised the quality of accounting and financial reporting of the organization.

Antony was credited for aligning the accounting service among the five military services.

Charles Christenson explained:

Anthony wrote or had a role in writing 27 books on accounting and management control.

A selection:

In 1973 and 1974, he was president of the American Accounting Association.

Harvard Business School professor Regina Herzlinger explained about the impact of Anthony's work in the 2006 obituary in the Harvard Gazette:

And furthermore:

And Harvard accounting professor Charles Christenson added: