History

Charles A.J. Vlek sat down and brought his memories of SPUDM onto paper.

Historical development of SPUDM 1969-1997: Research Conference on Subjective Probability, Utility and Decision Making

Abstract
The start-up in 1969 and the next 28 years are described of the international research conference on Subjective Probability, Utility and Decision Making, whose 23rd biennial manifestation took place in London, August 2011. SPUDM began in Hamburg on April 10-12, 1969, as a Research Conference on Subjective Probability and Related Fields. It adopted its current name at the third conference in Uxbridge, UK. As a distinctly European response to the growing literature, SPUDM was just another expression of the big wave of research interests in decision models, methods and processes, which rolled on in the 1950s and 1960s. A description is given of SPUDM’s inception around 1969 and its thriving development since then. The important role of Ward Edwards’ early decision-theoretic reviews is highlighted, as are the inspiring roles of Bruno De Finetti and Masanao Toda. SPUDM’s gradual expansion and differentiation are discussed, and its thematic developments between 1969 and 1997 are surveyed. Typical quotations are given and some pictures of SPUDM inspirators and activists are provided. A postscript anno 2012 gives a more distant look back on later developments, and some suggestions for SPUDM in its fifth decade.

Locations, Programs and Members of the Organizing Committees of SPUDM Conferences through the years:

2023 Vienna Susann Fiedler
2021 Warwick Elliot Ludvig, Daniel Read, Andrea Isoni, Carol Gardner, Emily Jamieson, Marcus Tonge
2019 Amsterdam Shaul Shalvi
2017 Haifa Ido Erev, Shahar Ayal
2015 Budapest Richárd Szántó
2013 Barcelona Elena Reustkaja, Mario Capizzani, Franz Heukamp, Robin Hogarth
2011 Kingston Gaëlle Villejoubert
2009 Rovereto Nicolao Bonini, Dinos Hadjichristidis, Rob Ranyard, Elke Weber, Gaëlle Villejoubert
2007 Warsaw Joanna Sokolowska, Tomasz Zaleskiewicz, Craig Fox, Nicolao Bonini
2005 Stockholm Tommy Gärling, Henry Montgomery, Lisa Ordonez, Joanna Sokolowska, Danielle Timmermans
2003 Zürich Roland Scholz, Renate Schubert, David Budescu, Tommy Gärling
2001 Amsterdam Pieter Koele, Joop van der Pligt, Jeryl Mumpower, Renate Schubert
1999 Mannheim Martin Weber, José Kerstholt, Joop van der Pligt, George Wu
1997 Leeds John Maule, Rob Ranyard, Martin Weber, Eric Johnson
1995 Jerusalem Maya Bar-Hillel, Ruth Beyth-Marom, David Budescu, John Maule, Richard Thaler
1993 Aix-en-Provence Jean-Paul Caverni, Maya Bar-Hillel, Hutton Barron, Oswald Huber, Helmut Jungermann, Helen Moshkovich, Joop van der Pligt
1991 Fribourg Oswald Huber, Katrin Borcherding, Klara Farago, Oleg Larichev, Jeryl Mumpower, Joop van der Pligt
1989 Moscow Oleg Larichev, Katrin Borcherding, Istvan Kiss, David Messick, Stephen Watson
1987 Cambridge Stephen Watson, Istvan Kiss, Lola Lopes, Bernd Rohrmann, Willem-Albert Wagenaar, Stuart Wooler
1985 Helsinki Guje Sevón, Berndt Brehmer, Helmut Jungermann, Oleg Larichev, Peter Lourens, Gordon Pitz
1983 Groningen Charles Vlek, Katrin Borcherding, Berndt Brehmer, Baruch Fischhoff, Pieter Koele, Peter Lourens, Anna Vári
1981 Budapest Tibor Engländer, Anna Vári, Patrick Humphreys, Ola Svenson, Willem A. Wagenaar, Detlov von Winterfeldt
1979 Göteborg Lennart Sjöberg, Lee Roy Beach, Patrick Humphreys, Ola Svenson, Tadeusz Tyszka
1977 Warsaw Józef Kozielecki, Wojciech Gasparski, Helmut Jungermann, Lennart Sjöberg, James Wise, Gerard de Zeeuw
1975 Darmstadt Helmut Jungermann, Józef Kozielecki, Sarah Lichtenstein, Gerard de Zeeuw
1973 Rome Bruno de Finetti, Gernot Kleiter, Carl-Axel Staël von Holstein, Charles Vlek, Dirk Wendt
1971 Uxbridge  Larry Phillips, John Kidd, Sandy Lovie
1970 Amsterdam Gerard de Zeeuw, Charles Vlek, Willem Albert Wagenaar, Kiek van der Meer
1969 Hamburg Dirk Wendt, Carl-Axel Staël von Holstein, Charles Vlek

Thanks to the following people who helped putting this list and the conference programs together up to 2011: Tommy Gärling, Oswald Huber, Helmut Jungermann, Eugenie Kalteis, Judith Kas, Pieter Koele, John Maule, Henry Montgomery, Joop van der Pligt, Joanna Sokolowska, Barbara Summers, Gaëlle Villejoubert