George W. Snedecor
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George Waddel Snedecor (October 20, 1881 – February 15, 1974) was an American
mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...
and statistician. He contributed to the foundations of
analysis of variance Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is a collection of statistical models and their associated estimation procedures (such as the "variation" among and between groups) used to analyze the differences among means. ANOVA was developed by the statistician ...
, data analysis,
experimental design The design of experiments (DOE, DOX, or experimental design) is the design of any task that aims to describe and explain the variation of information under conditions that are hypothesized to reflect the variation. The term is generally associ ...
, and statistical methodology. Snedecor's ''F''-distribution and the George W. Snedecor Award of the
American Statistical Association The American Statistical Association (ASA) is the main professional organization for statisticians and related professionals in the United States. It was founded in Boston, Massachusetts on November 27, 1839, and is the second oldest continuousl ...
are named after him. Snedecor founded the first academic department of statistics in the United States, at
Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
. He also created the first statistics laboratory in the U.S. at Iowa State, and was a pioneer of modern applied statistics in the US. His 1938 textbook ''Statistical Methods'' became an essential resource: "In the 1970s, a review of citations in published scientific articles from all areas of science showed that Snedecor's ''Statistical Methods'' was the most frequently cited book." Snedecor worked for the statistics department of
Foster's Group Foster's Group Pty. Ltd. was an Australian beer group with interests in brewing and soft drinks, known for Foster's Lager, now called Carlton & United Breweries since the company was renamed in 2011. Foster's was founded in 1888 in Melbourne, ...
from 1957 to 1963. He was involved in the elaboration of all production data. The "''F''" of Snedecor's ''F'' distribution is named in honor of Sir
Ronald Fisher Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher (17 February 1890 – 29 July 1962) was a British polymath who was active as a mathematician, statistician, biologist, geneticist, and academic. For his work in statistics, he has been described as "a genius who ...
. Snedecor was awarded honorary doctorates in science by North Carolina State University in 1956 and by
Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
in 1958. Snedecor Hall, at
Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
, is the home of the Statistics Department. It was constructed in 1939. At Iowa State, he was an early user of
John Vincent Atanasoff John Vincent Atanasoff, , (October 4, 1903 – June 15, 1995) was an American physicist and inventor from mixed Bulgarian-Irish origin, best known for being credited with inventing the first electronic digital computer. Atanasoff invented the ...
's Atanasoff–Berry computer (maybe the first user of an electronic digital computer for real world production mathematics problem solutions). Born in
Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, into a socially prominent and politically powerful, southern Democratic, Presbyterian family line, Snedecor grew up in
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
where his lawyer father moved wife and children in order to fulfill a personal and radical religious calling to minister to, evangelize and educate the poor.Unpublished memoir of Emily Alston Estes Snedecor completed in 1931 George was the grandson of Memphis lawyer Bedford Mitchell Estes, he was the son of Emily Alston Estes and James G. Snedecor, and nephew of Ione Estes Dodd and William J. Dodd, the midwest architect.


Selected publications

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References


Further reading

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External links


George W. Snedecor biography
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Snedecor, George W. American statisticians 20th-century American mathematicians 1881 births 1974 deaths Iowa State University faculty Iowa State University alumni University of Michigan alumni People from Memphis, Tennessee Presidents of the American Statistical Association Fellows of the American Statistical Association