Dr. Tannian came to Delaware in 1966 as an economist and assistant professor of economics in what was then the Division of Urban Affairs. Over the years and through the work of Dr. Tannian and others, the division eventually became the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy and is now the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration. 

His areas of research included neighborhoods as a policy dimension, regulation of electric prices, urban change and development, and local and state environmental policy.

Dr. Tannian retired from UD in 1998 and was awarded emeritus status in light of his many years of distinguished service to the University. After retirement, he continued to teach as a supplemental faculty member from 2001-2010.

Colleagues remember

Some of Dr. Tannins colleagues and friends shared their reflections:

Dan Rich, University Professor of Public Policy Emeritus:

“Professor Emeritus Francis Tannian was one of the founders of what is now the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration.  He joined UD in 1968 as a member of the staff of the Division of Urban Affairs from which the Biden School evolved. He focused on improving the financing and delivery of urban services in Wilmington. He was one of the architects of the interdisciplinary graduate program in urban affairs and public policy, and he taught in that program for nearly 30 years. An economist with an interest in public choice and urban economics, he was a gifted teacher. I team-taught with Francis for many years and observed firsthand how he could engage students in economic ideas and analysis, including students who never thought they would want to study economics. Throughout his UD career, Francis held a joint appointment in the Department of Economics. Francis also was a member of the faculty group that created the Center for Energy and Urban Policy Research, which later became the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy. Generations of students at the Biden School have been the beneficiaries of Francis Tannian's commitment to interdisciplinary education. Delawareans from Wilmington to Sussex County have benefitted from his determination to translate research into better policies and services.” 

Arno Loessner, associate professor emeritus, Institute for Public Administration:

“I knew Francis Tannian in several capacities over many years. As my master’s thesis adviser, he emphasized the importance of hard work and integrity in the academic process, which I applied in my subsequent degree work and in supervising my graduate students. 

“As my colleague, co-investigator and co-author, Francis was generous, thoughtful, fun to work with and ready to do his full share to achieve success. 

“As a teaching colleague, Francis preached the connection of principles of economics to understanding and resolving practical problems. On a three-week study abroad course we co-taught that included a week in Prague in 1978, Francis and I stood in the snow with our graduate students at the Czech border while Soviet troops searched our train and then spent much of the week listening to our hosts from the Czechoslovakia Academy of Science try to rationalize their dire situation. We all left that experience with a renewed commitment to freedom. It was very powerful. 

“I can still recall the cheer that went up from the group when our return train crossed the border into West Germany. The importance and relevance of our work together in Newark was confirmed. 

“That cheer rings in my ears now as I look back on Francis‘s life of dedication to his faith, his family, his students and his profession. Knowing and working with him was a memorable highlight of my career at the University Of Delaware.”

Jeff Raffel, Charles P. Messick Professor Emeritus of Public Administration:

“Francis Tannian was a major contributor for over 30 years to what was the Division of Urban Affairs and is today the Biden School of Public Policy and Administration. He was an economist by training and intellect who sought to move the field of Urban Affairs to an interdisciplinary stance. An architect of the school's Ph.D. program, Professor Tannian was a leader in efforts to integrate economic thinking–from exchange theory to microeconomics–with disciplines such as sociology and political science. He made faculty (certainly including me!), staff and students think in different theoretical and conceptual ways about public policy, urban affairs, organizations and leadership. He was an early advocate and practitioner of international study. Francis Tannian will be remembered as a fine teacher and mentor, service-oriented member of the community and a man of ideas always accompanied by friendly smiles.”

About Francis Tannian

Born in Boston, Francis Tannian earned his bachelor’s degree in classics and his master’s degree in economics at Boston College and his doctorate in economics at the University of Virginia, where he held Thomas Jefferson and Relm Foundation Fellowships.

Before coming to Delaware, he was an assistant professor at Duquesne University for four years and a research statistician for the Massachusetts Commission on Branch Banking.

He is survived by Monica Tannian, M. Joyce, Mark, and Marcia Tannian, Michele Smith and his two grandchildren, Declan and Liam Smith. 

Donations in his memory may be made to Water is Life Kenya, 314 East Main St., Kelway Plaza, Suite #2, Newark, DE 19711 or online by clicking here.

To read his complete obituary or leave online condolences, visit Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes.