Benmei Liu
The Washington Statistical Society is one of the oldest and most active chapters of the American Statistical Association. On January 19, 1926, the WSS was officially organized and its constitution approved. Exactly 100 years and one day later, the WSS hosted a celebration to honor this milestone.
The WSS 100th Anniversary Founding Party, held at NORC, drew approximately 80 members and friends as the evening bridged the society’s past and future. Attendees enjoyed food and drink and received commemorative gifts of WSS-branded charging cables or T-shirts to mark the occasion.
Honored Guests and Reflections
In attendance were several ASA leaders, including Executive Director Ron Wasserstein, Associate Executive Director Donna LaLonde, ASA President Jeri Mulrow, and ASA Vice President Susan Paddock. Also present were 11 past WSS presidents, whose service spanned 1986–2022, and WSS President-Elect Lisa Mirel.
Glenn White and current WSS President Benmei Liu opened the evening with welcoming remarks. The brief program featured reflections from three past presidents—Dan Kasprzyk, Mary Batcher, and John Czajka—who shared stories from their tenures. Kasprzyk noted that the concerns of the WSS have remained consistent over the last 40 years, focusing on seminars, outreach, and encouraging young statisticians. “Key to the success of the organization are the volunteers who work tirelessly to make the WSS a successful chapter,” he said. “These volunteers were critical to my presidential term in 1986–87, and they continue to be critical now.”
Batcher reflected on her time leading the society and her long-standing history with the chapter, including her role in welcoming White into the WSS fold early in his career—a testament to the society’s long-standing tradition of peer mentorship and professional support.
Czajka shared a memory of the chapter’s physical history, recalling how he volunteered to house 8–10 boxes of WSS materials in his own office in 2005 when the US Census Bureau moved buildings and the chapter’s archives were left without a home.
Wasserstein congratulated WSS on its century of achievements and contributions as an ASA chapter. Mulrow, for whom the WSS is home chapter, offered remarks about her presidential initiative, encouraging statisticians to volunteer their skills in local communities. She said, “Chapters are an important part of the ASA. They are places where local statisticians and data scientists can gather, create connections, learn from one another, and share innovations.”
The WSS community supports its members and local community through mentoring, quantitative literacy, and science fair judging. It also supports the federal statistical agencies and data infrastructure that is part of the DC community that supports the nation. As Mulrow noted, “WSS members benefit greatly from these community connections.”
A Spirit of Dedication
Kasprzyk celebrated the WSS 60th anniversary 40 years ago, and Fritz Scheuren (president, 1991–1992) has been a WSS member for more than 60 years. Indeed, many of the attendees were WSS members for more than 30 or 40 years.
Mark Otto, 2021–2022 president and mentoring program founder, traveled from Colorado to attend and arranged for several mentor-mentee pairs to meet in person for the first time. Gary Cline, the chapter’s social committee chair, traveled back from an out-of-state trip to attend. Both arrived directly from the airport to join the festivities.
Looking Toward the Next Century
Since its founding, the WSS has been powered by the dedication of its members. The roster of leaders and volunteers at the celebration was a reminder that the WSS story is not written by any one individual but by a community of leaders who care deeply about its mission. Over the past 100 years, as the statistics field has evolved from early survey and traditional statistical methods to the frontiers of data science, machine learning, and AI, the chapter’s core mission has remained constant: providing a professional home for exchanging ideas; recognizing excellence; and mentoring the next generation.
The WSS serves as a bridge between government, academia, and industry, ensuring statistical thinking is applied to the public good. It remains a place where lifelong friendships form. While members honor the contributions of long-standing members, they also embrace new voices and young spirits who will carry the chapter forward.
What steps can you take to volunteer? Read “Taking the Opportunities the WSS Has Given” by Mark Otto for ideas.
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