GB 1060 DP002 Pearson - Pearson Papers

Identity area

Reference code

GB 1060 DP002 Pearson

Title

Pearson Papers

Date(s)

  • 1933-1934; 1955 (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

1 box

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Egon Sharpe Pearson was born in Hampstead, London, in 1895, the middle child of Karl Pearson and his wife Maria Sharpe. He was educated at Winchester College and Cambridge University, graduating in 1920 and joined his father's Department of Applied Statistics at University College London in 1921 becoming assistant editor of Biometrika, the statistical journal co-founded by Karl Pearson, in 1924. In 1933 Pearson succeeded his father as Head of Department at UCL; three years later, when Karl Pearson died, he also became Managing Editor of Biometrika.

In 1930, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS). During a visit to the USA in 1931, Pearson met Walter Shewart of the Bell Telephone Laboratory with whom he discussed quality control in industry. The following year he presented a paper to the RSS on industrial applications of statistics which led directly to the formation of the Industrial and Agricultural Research Section (IARS) of the Society. He was on the Council of the RSS from 1934 to 1951, serving as Vice-President in 1945/6 and again in 1947/8 and was elected President for 1955-1957.

He married in 1934 and had two children; his wife died in 1949. Pearson died in 1980.

Archival history

GB 1060 DP002 Pearson 1933-1934; 1955 Collection (fonds) 1 box Pearson , Egon Sharpe , 1895-1980 , statistician

Egon Sharpe Pearson was born in Hampstead, London, in 1895, the middle child of Karl Pearson and his wife Maria Sharpe. He was educated at Winchester College and Cambridge University, graduating in 1920 and joined his father's Department of Applied Statistics at University College London in 1921 becoming assistant editor of Biometrika, the statistical journal co-founded by Karl Pearson, in 1924. In 1933 Pearson succeeded his father as Head of Department at UCL; three years later, when Karl Pearson died, he also became Managing Editor of Biometrika.

In 1930, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS). During a visit to the USA in 1931, Pearson met Walter Shewart of the Bell Telephone Laboratory with whom he discussed quality control in industry. The following year he presented a paper to the RSS on industrial applications of statistics which led directly to the formation of the Industrial and Agricultural Research Section (IARS) of the Society. He was on the Council of the RSS from 1934 to 1951, serving as Vice-President in 1945/6 and again in 1947/8 and was elected President for 1955-1957.

He married in 1934 and had two children; his wife died in 1949. Pearson died in 1980.

Deposited with the Society by E S Pearson in 1971.

Egon Pearson papers,1933-1934, 1955: paper 'Sampling Problems in Industry' given at the 3rd meeting of IARS, Mar 1934, manuscript draft and typescript of text; manuscript notes introducing discussion at the meeting; correspondence relating to the collection of sampling data from industry and other information for preparation of the papers; invitations to attend and post-meeting comments, Dec 1933-Mar 1934.

Some Aspects of the Geometry of Statistics, 1955 RSS Presidential Address, manuscript and typescript with diagrams.

As indicated in Scope and Content.

Generally available to bona fide researchers.

At the discretion of the Archives Consultant and subject to copyright.

English

Summary list.

University College London Special Collections hold 30 boxes of professional and personal papers and correspondence of Egon Sharpe Pearson.

Compiled by Janet Foster, Archives Consultant, RSS.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

October, 2008 Industry Pearson , Egon Sharpe , 1895-1980 , statistician Royal Statistical Society Statistics

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Deposited with the Society by E S Pearson in 1971.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Egon Pearson papers,1933-1934, 1955: paper 'Sampling Problems in Industry' given at the 3rd meeting of IARS, Mar 1934, manuscript draft and typescript of text; manuscript notes introducing discussion at the meeting; correspondence relating to the collection of sampling data from industry and other information for preparation of the papers; invitations to attend and post-meeting comments, Dec 1933-Mar 1934.

Some Aspects of the Geometry of Statistics, 1955 RSS Presidential Address, manuscript and typescript with diagrams.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

As indicated in Scope and Content.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Generally available to bona fide researchers.

Conditions governing reproduction

At the discretion of the Archives Consultant and subject to copyright.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Summary list.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

University College London Special Collections hold 30 boxes of professional and personal papers and correspondence of Egon Sharpe Pearson.

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Royal Statistical Society

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area