Martha Sommerfeld Hearron (April 4, 1943 – November 29, 2014) was an American

biostatistician Biostatistics (also known as biometry) is a branch of statistics that applies statistical methods to a wide range of topics in biology. It encompasses the design of biological experiments, the collection and analysis of data from those experimen ...

who worked for over 30 years at

Upjohn The Upjohn Company was an American pharmaceutical manufacturing firm (est. 1886) in Hastings, Michigan, by Dr. William E. Upjohn, an 1875 graduate of the University of Michigan medical school. The company was originally formed to make ''friable ...

, becoming the first professional woman and the first female manager there. Martha L. Sommerfeld was born in

Highland Park, Illinois Highland Park is a suburban city located in southeastern Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipali ...

. She was part of the entering class of 1964 at the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina (now the

University of North Carolina at Greensboro The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG or UNC Greensboro) is a public research university in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina, University of North Carolina system. It is accredited by the S ...

) but graduated in 1964, with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. She completed her education with a master's degree in public health in 1966, specializing in biostatistics, at the University of Michigan. She married Arthur E. Hearron Jr., and joined Upjohn, where she would work for another 32 years. She helped establish the Pharmaceutical Subsection of the American Statistical Association in 1968 (now the Biopharmaceutical Section), and was its chair in 1976. In 1988, Hearron was elected as a

Fellow of the American Statistical Association Like many other academic professional societies, the American Statistical Association (ASA) uses the title of Fellow of the American Statistical Association as its highest honorary grade of membership. The designation of ASA Fellow has been a sign ...

. Hearron held a lifelong interest in the fine and performing arts, and sang soprano in the annual production of

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

's ''

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

'' as part of the University Choral Union at the University of Michigan while she was a student there. As a parting gift from her estate, she funded an

endowed chair A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are ...

in fine arts at

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a Public university, public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. B ...

, in the names of her and her husband.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hearron, Martha Sommerfeld 1943 births 2014 deaths American statisticians American women statisticians University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni Fellows of the American Statistical Association