Margaret Gurney facts for kids

Margaret Gurney (born October 28, 1908 – died March 19, 2002) was an amazing American expert in math, statistics, and early computer programming. She first studied advanced math at colleges like Swarthmore and Brown University. Later, she worked for the United States Census Bureau. There, she became very well-known for her skills in sampling (which is like picking a small group to learn about a bigger group) and how to do surveys. She was also one of the first people to program the UNIVAC I, which was one of the very first computers used for business. After that, she traveled the world, helping different countries learn about statistics. She won a special award called the Department of Commerce Silver Medal and was recognized as a top expert in statistics.

Early Life and School

Margaret Gurney was born in Washington, D.C. Her parents, Anna Elizabeth Pickett and Dayton Alvin Gurney, both went to Michigan State University. Her father became an engineer for the military. Margaret and her two siblings grew up in Washington, D.C. She went to Central High School there.

After high school, she went to Swarthmore College with a special scholarship. In 1930, she finished her bachelor's degree with top honors. She studied math, physics, and astronomy.

She then went to Brown University for more studies in 1930 and earned her master's degree in 1931. From 1932 to 1933, she got a fellowship to study in Germany at the University of Göttingen. She came back to Brown and finished her Ph.D. in 1934. Her big research project was about complex math equations. Her teacher was Jacob Tamarkin.

Career

Margaret Gurney started working for the U.S. Government in 1938. First, she was a math consultant for the Budget Bureau. Then, in 1940, she became an economist. In 1944, she moved to the United States Census Bureau, where she worked until she retired in 1973.

At the Census Bureau, Margaret helped plan surveys that used sampling. She also put her math methods to work on the UNIVAC I. This was the very first computer made for businesses in the United States!

Starting in 1961, and even after she retired, Margaret Gurney also worked as an international consultant. She taught people in developing countries about statistics and how to collect information about farming. She started this work in Puerto Rico. Later, she helped people in Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

After she retired, she lived with her sister Ruth Park in Quilcene, Washington. She passed away there on March 19, 2002.

Awards and Recognition

In 1966, Margaret Gurney received the Department of Commerce Silver Medal. She earned this award for her many years of helping to improve how surveys are done.

In 1968, she was chosen as a Fellow of the American Statistical Association. This was a big honor! She was recognized for her important work on surveys, for finding ways to fix errors in surveys, and for training statisticians from other countries.

See also

In Spanish: Margaret Gurney para niños