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Statisticians in History

Statisticians in History »

[8 Dec 2016 | Comments Off on Janet Norwood (1923–2015): A Pioneer and an Inspiration | 5,603 views]

Val Nirala, ASA Publications Coordinator

“When I grow up, I want to be like Janet Norwood because she was a past president of [the] American Statistical Association. …She’s actually pretty neat.”

These are the words of a middle school student named Holly who lives in North Carolina. Janet Norwood, previous Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, visited Holly’s school in 2003 to talk about her work in the U.S. government. As someone who was a pioneer at heart, it is no surprise that Norwood would inspire the life of a young …

Statisticians in History »

[1 Dec 2016 | Comments Off on Helen Walker (1891–1983) | 3,682 views]

Helen M. Walker contributed to the field of statistics through her work in education, and educational research. She was a longtime faculty member at Columbia University Teachers College and a member of numerous professional organizations. In the 1940s, a time when hardly any women held prominent academic positions, she was a unique pioneer in gaining professional visibility for women. Elected the first woman President of the American Statistical Association in 1944, she also served as President of the American Educational Research Association from 1949 to 1950.
Dr. Walker was born December …

Statisticians in History »

[26 Oct 2016 | Comments Off on Ada Byron (1815–1852) | 2,690 views]

Dr. Betty Alexandra Toole
 
Originally published in the September 2000 issue of Amstat News
Ada Byron, Lady Lovelace, was one of the most picturesque characters in computer history. Augusta Ada Byron was born December 10, 1815, the daughter of the illustrious poet Lord Byron. Five weeks after Ada was born, Lady Byron asked for a separation from Lord Byron, and was awarded sole custody of Ada, whom she brought up to be a mathematician and scientist. Lady Byron was terrified that Ada might end up being a poet like her father. Despite …

Statisticians in History »

[22 Sep 2016 | 2 Comments | 46,876 views]

In 1840, Florence Nightingale begged her parents “to let her study mathematics instead of doing worsted work and practicing quadrilles.” Her mother “did not approve, home duties were not to be neglected for mathematics.” She assumed that her daughter’s destiny was marriage, “and what use were mathematics to a married woman?” Her father, who loved math and had communicated that love to his daughter, nevertheless urged her to study more appropriate subjects (for a woman), “history or philosophy, natural or moral.” Florence expressed her preference for mathematics by saying, “I …

Statisticians in History »

[22 Sep 2016 | Comments Off on William G. Cochran (1909–1980) | 5,236 views]

William Gemmell Cochran was born on July 15, 1909, in Rutherglen, Scotland, arguably the oldest royal burgh in the country. Cochran and his one brother had a typical childhood for a middle-class family, and Cochran did well in school winning many prizes for academics. This set the stage for his higher education experience; first place in the University of Glasgow Bursary Competition placed him in that school for his first degree, and the Logan Medal for the best Faculty of Arts student and a scholarship put him at Cambridge to …

A Statistician's Life, Additional Features, Influential Mentors, Mentoring, Statisticians in History »

[1 Sep 2016 | Comments Off on Brian at OMB | 2,963 views]

Grace Medley writes about her mentor Brian Harris-Kojetin who was the Jeanne E. Griffith Mentoring award winner in 2013.

A Statistician's Life, Influential Mentors, Mentoring, Statisticians in History »

[1 Sep 2016 | Comments Off on Interview with Doug Zahn | 2,447 views]

Eric Vance, associate professor of applied mathematics and director of the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis (LISA) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, interviews one of his mentors, Doug Zahn.

A Statistician's Life, Additional Features, Mentoring, Statisticians in History »

[1 Sep 2016 | Comments Off on Interview with Mary Gray | 4,323 views]

Nawar M. Shara, associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University, interviewed her mentor, Mary Gray, professor in the department of mathematics and statistics at American University.

A Statistician's Life, Additional Features, Influential Mentors, Mentoring, Statisticians in History »

[1 Sep 2016 | One Comment | 7,775 views]

Jean Yang, professor at the University of Sydney School of Mathematics and Statistics, interviews her mentor, Terry Speed.

Statisticians in History »

[31 Mar 2016 | Comments Off on W. Edwards Deming (1900—1993) | 5,408 views]

Nancy R. Mann
 
William Edwards Deming was born in Sioux City, Iowa, on the 14th of October, 1900. Although he has been honored throughout the world as a “quality-management guru,” he insisted upon being known as a “Consultant in Statistical Studies.” His path to the eminence that he attained as a statistician was circuitous and full of serendipity.
After Ed Deming’s graduation from the University of Wyoming in 1921 as an engineer, he remained there another year to study mathematics. It was during that time that, as he once told me, he …