Gertrude Mary Cox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gertrude Mary Cox
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| Born | January 13, 1900 |
| Died | October 17, 1978 (aged 78) |
| Education | B.S. Mathematics, 1929 M.S. Statistics, 1931 D.Sc. Statistics (Honorary), 1958 |
| Alma mater | Iowa State College University of California at Berkeley |
| Known for | First woman elected into the International Statistical Institute; president of the American Statistical Association; experimental statistics |
| Awards | Fellow of the American Statistics Association (1944)
Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (1944) Member of the International Statistics Institute (1949) Honorary member of the Société Adolphe Quetelet (1954) Honorary fellow of the Royal Statistical Society (1959) University of North Carolina's Oliver Max Gardner Award (1959) International Award for Distinguished Service to Agriculture (awarded by Gamma Sigma Delta, 1960) Honorary Life Membership of the Biometric Society (1964) Member of the National Academy of Sciences (1975) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Statistics, Mathematics |
| Institutions | Professor of Statistics, North Carolina State University; Director of Statistics, Research Triangle Institute |
| Thesis | "A Statistical Investigation of a Teacher's Ability as Indicated by the Success of His Students in Subsequent Courses" (1931) |
| Academic advisors | George W. Snedecor |
Gertrude Mary Cox (born January 13, 1900 – died October 17, 1978) was an American expert in statistics. She was a pioneer in her field. She started the first department of Experimental Statistics at North Carolina State University. She also led the Institute of Statistics for the Consolidated University of North Carolina.
Gertrude Cox was known for her important work on experimental design. This is about planning experiments to get the best results. In 1950, she wrote a famous book called Experimental Designs with W. G. Cochran. This book became a key guide for statisticians for many years. In 1949, she made history as the first woman chosen for the International Statistical Institute. Later, in 1956, she became the President of the American Statistical Association.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gertrude Cox was born in Dayton, Iowa, on January 13, 1900. She went to Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, and finished in 1918. After high school, she first thought about becoming a church worker.
However, in 1925, she decided to go to college. She attended Iowa State College (now Iowa State University). There, she studied mathematics and statistics. She earned her first degree (B.S.) in 1929. Then, she got her Master's degree in statistics in 1931.
From 1931 to 1933, Gertrude Cox continued her studies at the University of California at Berkeley. She focused on how statistics are used in psychology. After this, she went back to Iowa State College. She helped set up a new place called the Statistical Laboratory. Here, she worked on how to design experiments properly.
Academic Career and Leadership
In 1939, Gertrude Cox became an assistant professor of statistics at Iowa State College. She was quickly recognized for her skills.
A year later, in 1940, she moved to North Carolina State College (now North Carolina State University). She became a professor of statistics there. She also became the head of the new department of Experimental Statistics. This was a big deal because she was the first woman to lead any department at that university.
In 1945, she took on even more leadership roles. She became the director of the Institute of Statistics for the Consolidated University of North Carolina. She also led the Statistics Research Division at North Carolina State College.
Gertrude Cox also helped share knowledge in her field. She became the editor of Biometrics Bulletin and Biometrics in 1945. She held this important editing job for 10 years. She was also a founding member of the International Biometric Society, which was started in 1947.
In 1960, she started her last major job. She became the Director of Statistics at the Research Triangle Institute in Durham, North Carolina. She worked there until she retired in 1965. Even after retiring, she continued to help. She worked as a consultant, helping to develop statistics programs in countries like Egypt and Thailand.
Important Book
In 1950, Gertrude Cox published a very important book with William Cochran. It was called Experimental Designs. This book became the main guide for statisticians who wanted to learn about planning and carrying out experiments. It was used as a key reference for many years.
Awards and Recognition
Gertrude Cox received many awards and honors for her work. In 1949, she was the first woman ever chosen to be part of the International Statistical Institute. This was a huge achievement.
In 1956, she was elected President of the American Statistical Association. Later, in 1975, she was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Sciences. She was also a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics.
The University of North Carolina system gave her the O. Max Gardner Award in 1959. North Carolina State University honored her by naming Cox Hall after her in 1970. They also gave her the Watauga Medal in 1977. Iowa State College gave her an honorary Doctorate of Science degree in statistics in 1958.
To continue her legacy, the Caucus for Women in Statistics created the Gertrude M. Cox Scholarship in 1989. This scholarship helps support future statisticians.
See also
In Spanish: Gertrude Cox para niños
