In his later career, Pearson’s prickly personality began to have a neg- ative effect on the development of new statistical research. As editor of Biometrika, Pearson was the key gatekeeper who controlled access to publicity and thus to career advancement for young researchers. Pearson had strong opinions about what kinds of research were
worthwhile and who should get credit. As the science writer J. B. S. Haldane noted in a lecture about Pearson’s work:
All power corrupts! It is impossible to be a professor in charge of an important department, and the editor of an important journal, without being somewhat corrupted. We can now see that in both capacities Pearson made mistakes. He rejected lines of research which later turned out to be fruitful. He used his own energy and that of his subordinates in research which turned out to be much less important than he believed.
Pearson’s stultifying impact on the later development of statistics is perhaps most clearly seen in his relations with R. A. Fisher, one of the most prominent statisticians of the early 20th century. Despite the fact that Fisher had done much original work on topics that were close to Pearson’s heart, the older scientist snubbed him. Finally, Pearson offered Fisher a post at the Galton Laboratory, but only on the condition that he could control the topics that Fisher researched and lectured on.
When Fisher rejected the offer and separately published an impor- tant paper on the distribution and correlation of measurements, Pearson rashly rejected it. Later, he pressured the editors of The
Journal of the Royal Statistical Society to reject another paper by
Fisher. At the same time, Pearson could be polite and magnanimous when entertaining colleagues such as mathematician Jerzy Neyman. Pearson’s harsh behavior seemed to arise only when he thought he was being challenged intellectually.
As new researchers (including Pearson’s son Egon) began to move into the forefront, Pearson began to slip out of the mainstream. He died in 1936, just a few years before computers would revolutionize the calculation and display of statistics.
For many modern students, Pearson has been known only for “chi squared” and some footnotes for distribution formulas in text- books. However, in recent years, there has been renewed interest in this paradoxical thinker. Biographers such as Theodore Porter have highlighted the complexities of a humanist and philosophical romantic who ended up spending his career in the world of measure- ments and formulas.
Chronology
1857 Karl Pearson is born in London on March 27
1879 Pearson graduates from King’s College, Cambridge, with high honors in mathematics
1881 Pearson completes his law studies and is admitted to the bar 1882 Pearson travels in Germany and studies a variety of subjects,
including philosophy, physics, and German literature; he receives a master’s degree
1884 Pearson becomes Professor of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics at University College, London
1890 Pearson begins work on “biometrics,” or statistical biology 1892 Pearson publishes The Grammar of Science
1896 Pearson is elected to the Royal Society
1900 Pearson, Francis Galton, and W. F. R. Weldon found the jour- nal Biometrika to study biology and evolution using statistical methods
1903 Pearson establishes the Biometric Laboratory
1907 Pearson reconstitutes Galton’s laboratory as the Francis Galton Laboratory of National Eugenices
1911 Pearson becomes Galton Professor of Eugenics, a post he will hold until his retirement
1933 Pearson retires
1936 Pearson dies on April 27
Further Reading
Books
Gigerenzer, Gerd [and others], eds. The Empire of Chance: How
Probability Changed Science and Everyday Life. New York:
Describes the revolution in science, technology, and society brought about by the understanding of probability and statistical methods.
Salsburg, David. The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized
Science in the Twentieth Century. New York: W. H. Freeman,
2001.
Contains engaging biographical sketches and stories featuring the surprising implications of statistical techniques.
Articles
Aldrich, John. “Karl Pearson: A Reader’s Guide.” University of Southampton (UK). Available online. URL: http://www.econom- ics.soton.ac.uk/staff/aldrich/kpreader.htm. Accessed on July 10, 2006.
A rich source of biographical and bibliographical information about Karl Pearson, his work, and his legacy.
Haldane, J. B. S. “Karl Pearson, 1857–1957.” Biometrika 44 (1957): 303–313.
A lecture given on the centenary of Pearson’s birth that assesses his life and work.
Walker, Helen M. “The Contributions of Karl Pearson.” Journal of
the American Statistical Association 53 (March 1958): 11–22. Assesses the significance of Pearson’s work at the centennial of his birth.
Williams, Richard H. “On the Intellectual Versatility of Karl Pearson.” Human Nature Review 3 (May 14, 2003): 296–301.
Describes both the remarkable range and power of Pearson’s intellect and the personality flaws that had a destructive effect on the later development of research.
Web Sites
Karl Pearson: A Reader’s Guide. URL: http://www.economics.soton. ac.uk/staff/aldrich/kpreader.htm. Accessed on June 12, 2006.
A large collection of links to background material on Pearson and his statistical concepts, compiled by John Aldrich of the University of Southampton, England.
Sir Francis Galton F.R.S. 1822–1911. URL: http://galton.org. Accessed on July 21, 2006.
Presents overviews of Galton’s work in statistics, genetics, psychology, and other areas.
Materials for the History of Statistics. The University of York. URL: http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/maths/histstat. Accessed on July 10, 2006.
Offers a variety of links to biographies and background ideas in statis- tics and general mathematics.
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