The Royal Statistical Society Speech Delivered at the 125th Anniversary Dinner

The Statistical Society of London was founded on March 15, 1834, with the Marquis of Lansdowne in the Chair. The Society began with 313 “original members”. The Royal Charter was granted in 1887 following its fiftieth anniversary. The number of fellows reached 1000 in 1924, 2000 in 1949, and promises to reach 3000 in the current year.

The Anniversary Dinner was held on March 17, 1959. The Prime Minister proposed the toast to the Royal Statistical Society and the President of the Society, Sir Harry Campion, responded. Other speakers at the dinner were Lord Piercy and Prof. A. Bradford Hill (Past Presidents of the Society), Sir Harold Gillett (Lord Mayor of London) and Sir Maurice Bowra (President of the British Academy).

Dr. Churchill Eisenhart, Vice-President of the ASA, represented the Association at the Anniversary Dinner. The Prime Minister's press release and the banquet program (from which this note was compiled) were transmitted to THE AMERICAN STATISTICIAN by Dr. Eisenhart.

A full account of the Dinner, with the report of the speeches, is to be published in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A (General), Part III (1959).