Person

Cornish, Edmund Alfred (Alf) (1909 - 1973)

FAA

Born
7 January 1909
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Died
31 January 1973
Occupation
Mathematician, Science administrator and Statistician

Summary

Alf Cornish was Officer-in-Charge, Section of Mathematical Statistics, CSIR/O, Adelaide 1944-1954 and then Chief of the Division of Mathematical Statistics, CSIRO 1954-1973. He was an early advocate of the potential value of computers for CSIRO and was involved in the establishment of the Division of Computing Science. His main research interests were in statistical metrology, multivariate analysis and fiducial inference. Since 2012 the Australasian Region of the International Biometric Society has awarded the E. A. (Alf) Cornish Award to recognise of a member in the region who has given long time service to the Society and to the advancement of biometry.

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Details

Chronology

1931
Education - Graduated in agriculture, University of Melbourne
1937
Career event - Leave of absence From Waite Institute to study with R. A. Fisher at University College, London
1938 - 1940
Career position - Statistician, Waite Institute
1940
Education - MSc, University of Adelaide
1941 - 1944
Career position - Officer-in-Charge, Biometric Section, CSIR
1944 - 1954
Career position - Officer-in-Charge, Section of Mathematical Statistics, CSIRO
1948 - 1950
Career position - Vice-President, Australasian Region, International Biometric Society
1951
Award - Australian Medal for Agricultural Science, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science
1951
Education - DSc, University of Adealide
1954 - 1973
Award - Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Science
1954 - 1973
Career position - Chief, CSIRO Division of Mathematical Statistics
1956 - 1957
Career position - President, International Biometric Society
1958 - 1973
Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science
1968 - 1973
Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal Statistical Society, United Kingdom
1970 - 1973
Career position - Council Member, International Biometric Society

Archival resources

Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science

  • Edmund Alfred Cornish - Records, 1937 - 1969, MS 089; Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science. Details

Published resources

Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Exhibitions

Journal Articles

  • Hannan, E. J., 'Obituary: Edmond Alfred Cornish (1909-1973) [includes list of publications]', Australian Journal of Statistics, 15 (3) (1973), 218-220. Details
  • Lancaster, H. O., 'Statistical Society of New South Wales', Australian Journal of Statistics, 30 (B) (1988), 99-109. Details
  • Moran, P. A. P., 'Edmund Alfred Cornish', Records of the Australian Academy of Science, 2 (4) (1974), 41-47. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/HR9740240041.htm. Details
  • Speed, T. P., 'The role of statisticians in CSIRO: past, present and future', Australian Journal of Statistics, 30 (B) (1988), 15-34. Details

Resources

Resource Sections

See also

  • Gani, J., 'Some aspects in the development of statistics in Australia', Australian Journal of Statistics, 18 (1/2) (1976), 1-20. Details
  • Stephens, C.G.; and Quirk, J.P., 'James Arthur Prescott 1890-1987', Historical Records of Australian Science, 7 (3) (1988), 299-313. https://doi.org/10.1071/HR9880730299. Details

Digital resources

Title
Edmund Alfred Cornish
Type
Image

Details

Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn

Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 6 October 2023

EOAS ID: biogs/P000326b.htm

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