Arthur C. Nielsen Jr., the former president and chairman of the A.C. Nielsen Company, passed away Monday in the Chicago area, after struggling with Parkinson's disease, USA Today reports. He was 92.

Nielsen joined the company, which was founded by his father, in 1945, following his service in World War II.

He rose to the position of president in 1957 and became chairman, stepping down in 1983, assuming the role of chairman emeritus. The following year, he shepherded the sale of the company to Dun & Bradstreet for $1.3 billion.

In a statement, Nielsen Holdings N.V. said, Art's passion and tireless commitment to helping industries better serve consumers led to the creation of many innovations we all rely on today, including consumer and performance surveys, market share, department and food index, and television ratings to name a few.

The statement continues, Nielsen expresses its profound appreciation and gratitude for Art's leadership and his legacy, which we proudly continue. The thoughts and prayers of our 34,000 associates in more than 100 global markets are with the Nielsen family at this time.