John Hooper (Irish statistician) facts for kids
John Hooper (born January 26, 1878 – died December 29, 1930) was an important Irish statistician. He became the very first director of statistics for the Irish Free State in 1923. This means he was in charge of collecting and understanding important numbers and facts about the country.
Contents
John Hooper's Early Life and Career
John Hooper was born in Cork city, Ireland. His father, also named John Hooper, was a politician and a journalist. John went to school in Cork and then at the O'Connell School in Dublin.
In 1898, he earned a degree in mathematics from the Royal University of Ireland in Dublin. He did very well, getting top honors. After finishing school, he started working for the government, which is called the civil service. For a while, he worked in London for the Postmaster-General, who was in charge of mail services.
Returning to Dublin and Statistics
In 1902, John Hooper came back to Dublin. He joined a government department called the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction of Ireland (DATII). He worked in their Statistics and Intelligence Branch. This branch collected and studied information.
By 1917, John had become the superintendent of this branch, which means he was in charge. In 1920, he shared his knowledge at a big meeting in London for statisticians from across the British Empire.
Leading Statistics in the New Irish Free State
A few years later, the new government of the Irish Free State made some changes. They combined DATII with another department to create the new Department of Industry and Commerce.
Because of these changes, John Hooper was chosen for a very important role in 1923. He became the first Director of Statistics for the country. He led the Statistics Branch of this new department. In this job, he guided how Ireland collected and used important facts and figures in its early years as a new country. Sadly, he passed away in 1930 at the age of 52.
Honors and Awards
Just before he died in 1930, John Hooper was chosen to be a member of a very respected group called the International Statistical Institute (ISI). This was a great honor for his work.
There were also plans for him to receive a special honorary degree from the National University of Ireland. This degree, called a Doctor of Economical Science, would have recognized his great leadership and service to the country.
Today, the Central Statistics Office in Ireland still remembers John Hooper. Each year, they award a medal in his honor to schoolchildren. This medal is given based on a poster competition, encouraging young people to learn about statistics.
