American Statistical Association History of Statistics
@hos-asa.bsky.social
The ASA History of Statistics Interest Group brings together everyone with an active interest in the history of statistics to share research and resources.
Martha (Marti) S. Hearron d #OTD 2014 (b 4 Apr 1943) ASA fellow 1988 Renowned biostatistician for Upjohn, she cofounded & was later 1st woman to chair the ASA Biopharmaceutical Section. She also established the first scholarship program & endowed professorship for U Michigan College of Fine Arts
November 29, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Martha (Marti) S. Hearron d #OTD 2014 (b 4 Apr 1943) ASA fellow 1988 Renowned biostatistician for Upjohn, she cofounded & was later 1st woman to chair the ASA Biopharmaceutical Section. She also established the first scholarship program & endowed professorship for U Michigan College of Fine Arts
John Wishart b #OTD 1898 (d 14 Jul 1956) ASA Fellow 1950, best known for his work at Rothamsted with Ronald Fisher, later first Director of the Cambridge Statistical Laboratory 1953. He developed the generalised product-moment distribution named after him in 1928
November 28, 2025 at 10:30 AM
John Wishart b #OTD 1898 (d 14 Jul 1956) ASA Fellow 1950, best known for his work at Rothamsted with Ronald Fisher, later first Director of the Cambridge Statistical Laboratory 1953. He developed the generalised product-moment distribution named after him in 1928
Sedley Antony Cudmore b #OTD 1878 Chief of General Statistics at the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, editor of the Canada Yearbook 1920-35, and Canada’s second Dominion Statistician 1942-5
November 27, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Sedley Antony Cudmore b #OTD 1878 Chief of General Statistics at the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, editor of the Canada Yearbook 1920-35, and Canada’s second Dominion Statistician 1942-5
Happy🎂to the American Statistical Association organized #OTD 1839 to "collect, preserve, and diffuse statistical information in the different departments of human knowledge" The 1st President was Richard Fletcher. The society began publishing its journal in 1888
November 27, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Happy🎂to the American Statistical Association organized #OTD 1839 to "collect, preserve, and diffuse statistical information in the different departments of human knowledge" The 1st President was Richard Fletcher. The society began publishing its journal in 1888
In 1687 William Hunt, a beer and liquor exciseman, and self-described ‘Student in the Mathematiks’ & “True Friend to All that are Mathematically Affected” describes his method for obtaining a mean of sorts with his geometric method for ‘inching’ brewers’ tuns
November 26, 2025 at 10:30 AM
In 1687 William Hunt, a beer and liquor exciseman, and self-described ‘Student in the Mathematiks’ & “True Friend to All that are Mathematically Affected” describes his method for obtaining a mean of sorts with his geometric method for ‘inching’ brewers’ tuns
#OTD 1922 Claus A Moser b (d 4 Sep 2015) (Baron Moser) KCB CBE, ASA Fellow 1965. Professor Social Statistics at LSE, & Director of the Central Statistical Office. A WWII refugee he became interested in social statistics during his internment as an 'enemy alien'
November 24, 2025 at 10:30 AM
#OTD 1922 Claus A Moser b (d 4 Sep 2015) (Baron Moser) KCB CBE, ASA Fellow 1965. Professor Social Statistics at LSE, & Director of the Central Statistical Office. A WWII refugee he became interested in social statistics during his internment as an 'enemy alien'
Happy🎂to the American Statistical Association organized #OTD 1839 to "collect, preserve, and diffuse statistical information in the different departments of human knowledge" The 1st President was Richard Fletcher. The society began publishing its journal in 1888
November 23, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Happy🎂to the American Statistical Association organized #OTD 1839 to "collect, preserve, and diffuse statistical information in the different departments of human knowledge" The 1st President was Richard Fletcher. The society began publishing its journal in 1888
#OTD 1917 Elizabeth L. Scott b (d 20 Dec 1988) IMS Fellow. Best known for application of statistical methods to problems in astronomy, meteorology & status of women in academia. In 1992 COPSS established the Elizabeth Scott Award for individuals who “foster opportunities in statistics for women”.
November 23, 2025 at 12:11 PM
#OTD 1917 Elizabeth L. Scott b (d 20 Dec 1988) IMS Fellow. Best known for application of statistical methods to problems in astronomy, meteorology & status of women in academia. In 1992 COPSS established the Elizabeth Scott Award for individuals who “foster opportunities in statistics for women”.
#OTD 1857 Katharine Coman b (d 11 Jan 1915). Professor at Wellesley College & noted historian, economist, sociologist, & social activist, she was the first woman to teach statistics in the US. Wellesley was the only American women's college to offer statistics courses before 1900.
November 23, 2025 at 12:10 PM
#OTD 1857 Katharine Coman b (d 11 Jan 1915). Professor at Wellesley College & noted historian, economist, sociologist, & social activist, she was the first woman to teach statistics in the US. Wellesley was the only American women's college to offer statistics courses before 1900.
We think of the concept of random allocation as relatively modern, first attributed to Charles Sanders Peirce 1883 & later by Ronald Fisher for agricultural trials 1920s & Austin Bradford Hill for clinical trials 1946. However, they were scooped by the King of Lydia 2000 years earlier 1/2
November 22, 2025 at 10:26 AM
We think of the concept of random allocation as relatively modern, first attributed to Charles Sanders Peirce 1883 & later by Ronald Fisher for agricultural trials 1920s & Austin Bradford Hill for clinical trials 1946. However, they were scooped by the King of Lydia 2000 years earlier 1/2
Stuart A Rice b #OTD 1889 d 4 June 1969 (ASA Fellow 1933, 28th ASA president 1933) Assistant Director of both the Census Bureau 1933 & Statistical Standards in the Budget Bureau, one of the developers of the UN Statistical Office and first chair of the UN Statistical Commission.
November 21, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Stuart A Rice b #OTD 1889 d 4 June 1969 (ASA Fellow 1933, 28th ASA president 1933) Assistant Director of both the Census Bureau 1933 & Statistical Standards in the Budget Bureau, one of the developers of the UN Statistical Office and first chair of the UN Statistical Commission.
#OTD 1896 Winifred A Mackenzie b (d 29 Nov 1954) 1st winner of RSS Frances Wood Memorial Prize. Studied economic statistics with Arthur Bowley. Best known for her work at Rothamsted, including the first systematic description of ANOVA 1923 co-authored with RA Fisher.
November 21, 2025 at 2:31 PM
#OTD 1896 Winifred A Mackenzie b (d 29 Nov 1954) 1st winner of RSS Frances Wood Memorial Prize. Studied economic statistics with Arthur Bowley. Best known for her work at Rothamsted, including the first systematic description of ANOVA 1923 co-authored with RA Fisher.
Leonard (Jimmie) Savage b #OTD 1917 (d 1 Nov 1971) Guggenheim fellow 1951 President IMS 1957. Founder & Chair Chicago Statistics Dept. Best known for work on subjective probability & expected utility theory. ASA & IMS sponsored his memorial volume in 1981 1/3
November 20, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Leonard (Jimmie) Savage b #OTD 1917 (d 1 Nov 1971) Guggenheim fellow 1951 President IMS 1957. Founder & Chair Chicago Statistics Dept. Best known for work on subjective probability & expected utility theory. ASA & IMS sponsored his memorial volume in 1981 1/3
#OTD 1891, Karl Pearson gives his Gresham lecture on "The Geometry of Statistics" in which he presents graphs showing distributions of deaths & discusses actuarial methods, variation, & chance. He later expands on these ideas in his 1897 book The Chances of Death
November 19, 2025 at 11:14 AM
#OTD 1891, Karl Pearson gives his Gresham lecture on "The Geometry of Statistics" in which he presents graphs showing distributions of deaths & discusses actuarial methods, variation, & chance. He later expands on these ideas in his 1897 book The Chances of Death
Happy belated 🎂 to David L Sackett (17 Nov 1934-13 May 2015) FRSC OC. With Archie Cochrane, father of modern clinical epidemiology and evidence-based medicine (which he explicitly defined in 1996). 1/2
November 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Happy belated 🎂 to David L Sackett (17 Nov 1934-13 May 2015) FRSC OC. With Archie Cochrane, father of modern clinical epidemiology and evidence-based medicine (which he explicitly defined in 1996). 1/2
2/ He starts by suggesting a visit to the market to check out “fish, vegetable marrow, screws & tennis bats” to grasp the concept of patterns of variation. The 2nd lecture involves “applications of geometry to statistical data”, what we now call data visualization and graphical statistics
November 17, 2025 at 1:46 PM
2/ He starts by suggesting a visit to the market to check out “fish, vegetable marrow, screws & tennis bats” to grasp the concept of patterns of variation. The 2nd lecture involves “applications of geometry to statistical data”, what we now call data visualization and graphical statistics
István Hatvani d #OTD 1786 (b 21 Nov 1718). First Hungarian to apply the law of large numbers to mortality statistics he studied with Johann & Daniel Bernouilli, was an early proponent of probability theory 1757 & advocated quantitative methods when philosophical deductive methods predominated
November 16, 2025 at 11:06 AM
István Hatvani d #OTD 1786 (b 21 Nov 1718). First Hungarian to apply the law of large numbers to mortality statistics he studied with Johann & Daniel Bernouilli, was an early proponent of probability theory 1757 & advocated quantitative methods when philosophical deductive methods predominated
In Nov 1904 Karl Pearson introduces the first clinical meta-analysis evaluating effectiveness of typhoid inoculations for British soldiers. He gives a pooled estimate of effect & comments on the ‘significance’ of correlations between inoculation, escape, & recovery.
November 15, 2025 at 2:53 PM
In Nov 1904 Karl Pearson introduces the first clinical meta-analysis evaluating effectiveness of typhoid inoculations for British soldiers. He gives a pooled estimate of effect & comments on the ‘significance’ of correlations between inoculation, escape, & recovery.
#OTD 1716 Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz d (b 1 Jul 1646) Although he is best known for his work on differential & integral calculus, & the binary system of arithmetic, he also invented an early calculating machine (‘stepped reckoner’) c 1672. 1/2
November 14, 2025 at 2:58 PM
#OTD 1716 Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz d (b 1 Jul 1646) Although he is best known for his work on differential & integral calculus, & the binary system of arithmetic, he also invented an early calculating machine (‘stepped reckoner’) c 1672. 1/2
Joseph L Fleiss b #OTD 1937 (d 12 Jun 2003) ASA Fellow 1973, President ENAR 1986. Best known for work on intraclass correlation & rater agreement, his 1974 paper showed that different psychiatric providers were rarely in agreement when using DSM-II to diagnose patients with similar problems
November 13, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Joseph L Fleiss b #OTD 1937 (d 12 Jun 2003) ASA Fellow 1973, President ENAR 1986. Best known for work on intraclass correlation & rater agreement, his 1974 paper showed that different psychiatric providers were rarely in agreement when using DSM-II to diagnose patients with similar problems
2/The 1756 4th edition of his 1738 book The Doctrine of Chances includes the first formal statement of the normal distribution. The formula did not look like it does now because at the time there was no standard notation for the constant e=2.71828 & no idea of standard deviation σ.
November 12, 2025 at 7:35 PM
2/The 1756 4th edition of his 1738 book The Doctrine of Chances includes the first formal statement of the normal distribution. The formula did not look like it does now because at the time there was no standard notation for the constant e=2.71828 & no idea of standard deviation σ.
Happy 🎂 to the normal curve! #OTD 1733 Abraham de Moivre published a description in Latin. It had the catchy title Approximatio ad Summam Terminorum Binomii (a + b)n in Seriem expansi [Approximation of the Sum of the Terms of the Binomial (a + b)n expanded into a Series] 1/2
November 12, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Happy 🎂 to the normal curve! #OTD 1733 Abraham de Moivre published a description in Latin. It had the catchy title Approximatio ad Summam Terminorum Binomii (a + b)n in Seriem expansi [Approximation of the Sum of the Terms of the Binomial (a + b)n expanded into a Series] 1/2
#OTD 1918 the Armistice was signed, ending the fighting in WWI. Casualties among French mathematicians were enormous as they were not a protected category, unlike in Germany & Britain. Among them was Major André-Louis Cholesky 1/2
November 11, 2025 at 12:18 PM
#OTD 1918 the Armistice was signed, ending the fighting in WWI. Casualties among French mathematicians were enormous as they were not a protected category, unlike in Germany & Britain. Among them was Major André-Louis Cholesky 1/2
2/ He was the son of statistician Louis-Adolphe & brother of Alphonse, creator of the Bertillon biometric method & inventor of the mugshot. Here is Jacques’ mugshot
November 11, 2025 at 12:12 PM
2/ He was the son of statistician Louis-Adolphe & brother of Alphonse, creator of the Bertillon biometric method & inventor of the mugshot. Here is Jacques’ mugshot
Jacques Bertillon b #OTD 1851 (d 4 July 1922)
Chief Statistician of Paris, Honorary ASA Fellow & RSS Fellow. Best known for his work on disease classification, he led the charge in promoting the combined application of statistics & data visualization methods for medicine & social sciences 1/2
Chief Statistician of Paris, Honorary ASA Fellow & RSS Fellow. Best known for his work on disease classification, he led the charge in promoting the combined application of statistics & data visualization methods for medicine & social sciences 1/2
November 11, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Jacques Bertillon b #OTD 1851 (d 4 July 1922)
Chief Statistician of Paris, Honorary ASA Fellow & RSS Fellow. Best known for his work on disease classification, he led the charge in promoting the combined application of statistics & data visualization methods for medicine & social sciences 1/2
Chief Statistician of Paris, Honorary ASA Fellow & RSS Fellow. Best known for his work on disease classification, he led the charge in promoting the combined application of statistics & data visualization methods for medicine & social sciences 1/2