Lawrence J. Korb Sr., Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) dean in the mid-1980s, died on April 20, 2026, at 86.
“There were high expectations for Larry’s deanship because of his extensive experience at the highest levels of government and his vast professional network,” said Kevin Kearns, professor in what is now the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). “Wesley Posvar, who was then (chancellor), was particularly enthusiastic about Larry’s deanship.”
In 1986, Kearns — who had earned his PhD at GSPIA in 1983 — was at Carnegie Mellon as director of executive programs at what is now the Heinz College. “Mindful of Larry’s former position as assistant secretary of defense in the Reagan administration, I asked him to give a one-day seminar to a group of senior federal executives. ... Larry and I then engaged in discussion of if and how GSPIA might have a greater presence in the area of executive training programs, particularly for federal, state and local executives.
“I remember him asking me in a humorous way, ‘Why are you working at CMU when you have such deep ties in GSPIA?’ ” Kearns said. “He then recruited me to return to GSPIA,” as assistant dean for strategic planning and external programs (1987-88) charged with expanding GSPIA programming in that area.
“We conducted an executive seminar for city of Pittsburgh managers and laid the foundation for expanded programming for nonprofit leaders. He told me that he loved his work at GSPIA and hoped he would stay at Pitt for a long time. Very shortly after, however, some personal and professional ties drew him back to Washington, D.C., where he continued to play significant advisory and consulting roles on issues of defense policy and international affairs.”
Another SPIA faculty member, Louise K. Comfort, recalls Korb impressing then-Gov. Dick Thornburgh in 1986, when Pitt hosted the Governor’s Academy for Pennsylvania state employees. This annual event rewarded Commonwealth employees for exceptional service with professional development sessions: “A planning effort was in progress, but apparently it was not progressing to Larry’s satisfaction. The schedule was set; a group of select Pennsylvania state employees were coming to campus; and Larry asked me to put together a simulated decision-making exercise in six weeks that would focus on decision making in emergencies across multiple state agencies.”
Oddly, for Pennsylvania, the simulation was supposed to involve an earthquake in Pittsburgh. “There had, in fact, been a small 5.2 earthquake north of Pittsburgh near Erie the year before that had caught state employees totally unaware. Larry asked what I needed to create a scenario; I asked for an excellent grad student with GIS (Geographic Information System) skills. We scrambled to create a scenario that generated small landslides, closed bridges, caused evacuation hazards and tested the policy-making skills of the state employees.
“Some 35 distinguished state employees came. Larry welcomed them to GSPIA’s program in public policy and the state employees engaged fully in the simulation. After a lively discussion and enthusiastic response from the group, Larry received accolades from the governor for showcasing GSPIA’s policy-making strategies. It was indeed decision making in process, but Larry managed it well and GSPIA remained in good favor with the governor.”
The school, in a memorial statement, noted Korb’s service to GSPIA at “a formative period in the school’s history. … His leadership reflected a deep connection between academic study and public service — an approach that continues to define SPIA today.
“His tenure at GSPIA,” it continued, “followed the school’s founding by Donald C. Stone and contributed to a broader legacy of leadership that has shaped generations of public servants and policy professionals.”
Born July 9, 1939, Korb served in the Navy in Vietnam and the Pacific, retiring from the Navy Reserve as a captain. He was assistant secretary of defense for manpower, reserve affairs and logistics under President Ronald Reagan and held national security positions at several think tanks in the nation’s capital.
He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Lane Stone; siblings Margaret Bailey, Michael Korb and Joseph Korb; children Mary Kay (Scott) MacMillan, Karen Schanke, Julie (Adam) List and Lawrence (Julie) Korb, Jr.; and grandchildren Jody (Blake) Ellis, Tommy (Caroline) Schanke, Audrey List, Allie MacMillan, Andrew MacMillan, Jane List, Grant Korb and Charlotte Korb.
Memorial gifts are suggested to Support Our Aging Religious (S.O.A.R.).
— Marty Levine