German-American logician and futurologist (1910 – 2011)
Olaf Helmer (June 4, 1910 – April 14, 2011) was a German-American logician and futurologist. He was a researcher at the RAND Corporation from 1946 to 1968 and a co-founder of the Institute for the Future.
Helmer moved to the United States in 1937, first working as a research assistant to Rudolf Carnap at the University of Chicago, then as a teacher of mathematics.
Beginning 1944, Helmer was involved in work for the National Defense Research Council under John Williams[1] (1909-1964). He would join Williams at the newly formed RAND Corporation in 1946.
Helmer's interests later turned towards forecasting and prediction. Collaborating with colleagues Norman Dalkey[2] (1915-2004) and Nicholas Rescher, his work led to the development of the Delphi method forecasting technique, also known as ETE (Estimate/Talk/Estimate).