Jerome Cornfield
Encyclopedia
Jerome Cornfield (1912–1979) was a US statistician
. He is best known for his work in biostatistics
, but his early work was in economic statistics
and he also contributed to the theory of Bayesian inference
. He also played a role in the early development of input-output analysis and linear programming
.
He was born on October 12, 1912 in The Bronx, New York City. He graduated from New York University
in 1933 and was briefly a graduate student at Columbia University
. He also studied statistics and mathematics at the Graduate School of the US Department of Agriculture
while employed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
, where he remained until 1947. He later worked at the National Cancer Institute
, the Department of Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, the National Heart Institute, the University of Pittsburgh
, and George Washington University
.
He was the R. A. Fisher Lecturer
in 1973 and President of the American Statistical Association
in 1974.
Cornfield married Ruth Bittler in 1937. They had two daughters.
He died on September 17, 1979 in Herndon, Virginia
.
Statistician
A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
. He is best known for his work in biostatistics
Biostatistics
Biostatistics is the application of statistics to a wide range of topics in biology...
, but his early work was in economic statistics
Economic statistics
Economic statistics is a topic in applied statistics that concerns the collection, processing, compilation, dissemination, and analysis of economic data. It is also common to call the data themselves 'economic statistics', but for this usage see economic data. The data of concern to economic ...
and he also contributed to the theory of Bayesian inference
Bayesian inference
In statistics, Bayesian inference is a method of statistical inference. It is often used in science and engineering to determine model parameters, make predictions about unknown variables, and to perform model selection...
. He also played a role in the early development of input-output analysis and linear programming
Linear programming
Linear programming is a mathematical method for determining a way to achieve the best outcome in a given mathematical model for some list of requirements represented as linear relationships...
.
He was born on October 12, 1912 in The Bronx, New York City. He graduated from 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 1933 and was briefly a graduate student at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. He also studied statistics and mathematics at the Graduate School of the US Department of Agriculture
Graduate School, USDA
The Graduate School is an independent educational institution headquartered in Washington, DC with regional campuses around the United States. The Graduate School was created in 1921 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide adult continuing education...
while employed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The BLS is a governmental statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and...
, where he remained until 1947. He later worked at the National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
, the Department of Biostatistics at Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, the National Heart Institute, the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, and George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
.
He was the R. A. Fisher Lecturer
R. A. Fisher Lectureship
The R. A. Fisher Lectureship is a very high recognition of achievement and scholarship in statistical science, and recognizes the highly significant impact of statistical methods on scientific investigations. The R. A. Fisher Lecture is given at the Joint Statistical Meetings in North America and...
in 1973 and President of the American Statistical Association
President of the American Statistical Association
The President of the American Statistical Association is the head of the American Statistical Association . According to the association's bylaws, the president is an officer, and a member of the board of directors and of the executive committee. Elections for the position are held annually, in...
in 1974.
Cornfield married Ruth Bittler in 1937. They had two daughters.
He died on September 17, 1979 in Herndon, Virginia
Herndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...
.