Olaf Helmer (June 4, 1910 – April 14, 2011) was a German-American logician and futurologist.
Helmer moved to the United States in 1937, first working as a research assistant to Rudolf Carnap at the University of Chicago, then as a teacher of mathematics.
Beginning 1944, Helmer was involved in work for the National Defense Research Council under John Williams[1] (1909-1964).
Collaborating with colleagues Norman Dalkey[2] (1915-2004) and Nicholas Rescher, his work led to the development of the Delphi method forecasting technique, also known as ETE (Estimate/Talk/Estimate).
In 1973 he was appointed Professor of Futuristics at the School of Business Administration at the University of Southern California.