Alec Gallup
Encyclopedia
Alec Miller Gallup was an American
pollster, who served as chairman of the Gallup Poll, after the 1984 death of his father, George Gallup
, who created the poll in 1935.
Gallup was born in Iowa City, Iowa
on January 4, 1928. After three years at Princeton University
, he attended the University of Iowa
, graduating in 1950 with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1950. Gallup did graduate studies Stanford University
in communications and at New York University
in marketing and advertising research.
He was hired by The Gallup Organization
in 1959, the company his father had founded in 1935. The company brought statistical random sampling methods to improve the accuracy of polling, with one of the firm's early triumphs being the successful prediction that Franklin D. Roosevelt
would be re-elected in the 1936 presidential election
, rebutting surveys that had predicted a win for Republican
challenger Alf Landon
. The polls done by The Literary Digest were based on 2.4 million responses from its own upscale readers as well as car registrations and phone books, characteristics that would have been more likely at that time to select Republican voters. In contrast, Gallup used statistical methods to ensure that the field interviews his survey collectors gathered included a representative demographic sample.
Following his father's death in July 1984, Alec and his brother George Gallup, Jr.
were designated as co-chairmen in 1986, after having worked together with their father to operate the firm. This post continued after the company was bought out by Selection Research, Incorporated (SRI) of Lincoln, Nebraska
in September 1988. In this role, Gallup was responsible for creating and wording questions used in the company's surveys. Andrew Kohut
, a former Gallup Organization president, credited Alec Gallup with the ability to "smell out a bad question or an unreasonable interpretation of data".
Gallup worked to ensure that the company's name not become a genericized trademark
or otherwise misused, including successful legal action in Russia
in 2003, where courts prevented companies from using the name without authorization. Despite efforts to maintain the unique use of the name, the term "gallup" has entered the dictionaries in some Scandinavian
nations, where the word means "survey".
Gallup died at age 81 on June 22, 2009, in his Princeton, New Jersey
home due to heart disease
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pollster, who served as chairman of the Gallup Poll, after the 1984 death of his father, George Gallup
George Gallup
George Horace Gallup was an American pioneer of survey sampling techniques and inventor of the Gallup poll, a successful statistical method of survey sampling for measuring public opinion.-Biography:...
, who created the poll in 1935.
Gallup was born in Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
on January 4, 1928. After three years at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, he attended the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, graduating in 1950 with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1950. Gallup did graduate studies Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in communications and at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in marketing and advertising research.
He was hired by The Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
in 1959, the company his father had founded in 1935. The company brought statistical random sampling methods to improve the accuracy of polling, with one of the firm's early triumphs being the successful prediction that Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
would be re-elected in the 1936 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1936
The United States presidential election of 1936 was the most lopsided presidential election in the history of the United States in terms of electoral votes. In terms of the popular vote, it was the third biggest victory since the election of 1820, which was not seriously contested.The election took...
, rebutting surveys that had predicted a win for Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
challenger Alf Landon
Alf Landon
Alfred Mossman "Alf" Landon was an American Republican politician, who served as the 26th Governor of Kansas from 1933–1937. He was best known for being the Republican Party's nominee for President of the United States, defeated in a landslide by Franklin D...
. The polls done by The Literary Digest were based on 2.4 million responses from its own upscale readers as well as car registrations and phone books, characteristics that would have been more likely at that time to select Republican voters. In contrast, Gallup used statistical methods to ensure that the field interviews his survey collectors gathered included a representative demographic sample.
Following his father's death in July 1984, Alec and his brother George Gallup, Jr.
George Gallup, Jr.
George Horace Gallup III was an American pollster, writer and executive at the The Gallup Organization, which had been founded by his father, George Gallup...
were designated as co-chairmen in 1986, after having worked together with their father to operate the firm. This post continued after the company was bought out by Selection Research, Incorporated (SRI) of Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
in September 1988. In this role, Gallup was responsible for creating and wording questions used in the company's surveys. Andrew Kohut
Andrew Kohut
Andrew Kohut is an American pollster. Kohut currently serves as the president of Pew Research Center and director of two of Pew's sub-projects: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and Pew Global Attitudes Project...
, a former Gallup Organization president, credited Alec Gallup with the ability to "smell out a bad question or an unreasonable interpretation of data".
Gallup worked to ensure that the company's name not become a genericized trademark
Genericized trademark
A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...
or otherwise misused, including successful legal action in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in 2003, where courts prevented companies from using the name without authorization. Despite efforts to maintain the unique use of the name, the term "gallup" has entered the dictionaries in some Scandinavian
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
nations, where the word means "survey".
Gallup died at age 81 on June 22, 2009, in his Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
home due to heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
.