Obituary and background material for Russ Ackoff

Russ Ackoff was a significant influence on those responsible for organising Systems teaching at the Open University (UK) in the early 1970s.  'Messes' and 'difficulties' became key concepts in almost every Systems course.  As educators these concepts were very useful pedagogically, but like all neologisms, after time they tend to become reified as 'things' in the world, rather than as useful constructs with which to engage situations.