Deming hated the MBA culture that was taking over management as he was entering his senior years. He really desired to see experienced folks from the factory floor promoted into management and sent to school.

Deming is often seen as a business guru, which I think is the wrong take. Success in business is often more a matter of luck than in finding and following a particular style. Deming misapplied a lot of experience, I think, but here, I think he is absolutely correct. Very few times do professional managers mean well or do well by a company. Someone who has been in the trenches knows a hell of a lot more than an idiot savant MBA who can spout management platitudes until the cows come home. Maybe after five or ten years it's worth sending someone to an MBA program; by then they have some perspective and can better sift through much of the crud an MBA program teaches.

My father went into an MBA program fifteen years or so after getting his degree (he's a guy who had problems his first time around in college, ultimately joined the Army instead of finishing college, and went back to college after a fifteen year absence, with his MBA program fifteen years after that) and even if he weren't my father, I'd trust him over any bright-eyed bushy tailed newly minted MBA any day. Damn, but I'm still amazed at him working a full-time job, working 2nd or 3rd shift, supporting his family, while going to school at the same time. Holy cow. I tried that once for about six weeks but (despite fairly good money for a college student) just had to give it up - I just couldn't take it.