On June 24, 1980, Americans widely viewed a NBC documentary called “If Japan Can…Why Can’t We.” The program, part of NBC’s White Paper series, prominently featured Dr. W. Edwards Deming, responsible for The Deming Prize. Produced by Clare Crawford-Mason and narrated by Lloyd Dobyns.

W. Edwards Deming first went to Japan in 1950 to teach industrial productivity through statistical analysis. He was so successful that Japan’s annual award for productivity is called “the Deming Prize.” It is one of the most coveted awards in Japan and the medal that goes with the award is a profile of Dr. Deming—an American.
…We have said several times that much of what the Japanese are doing is what we taught them to do. And the man who did most of the teaching is W. Edwards Deming.

Deming has been universally acclaimed as one of the Founding Fathers of Total Quality Management, if not the Founding Father. The revolution in Japanese manufacturing management that led to the economic miracle of the 1970s and 1980s has been attributed largely to Deming.