Robin L. Plackett (3 September 1920 – 23 June 2009) was a
statistician
A statistician is a person who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors.
It is common to combine statistical knowledge with expertise in other subjects, and statisticians may wor ...
best known for his contributions to the
history of statistics and to
experimental design, most notably the
Plackett–Burman designs.
Early life and education
Plackett attended
Liverpool Collegiate School from 1932 to 1939. He then attended
Clare College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1942.
Early career
During
World War II, Plackett was requested to work for the
Ministry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply (MoS) was a department of the UK government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. A separate ministry, however, was responsible for aircr ...
, in SR17 which was a statistical branch. He began to develop a methodology for applying statistical knowledge, and would pass it down to new recruits.
First scientific paper
In 1946, he would publish his first paper which was written jointly with Peter Burman in an journal called ''
Biometrika
''Biometrika'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Oxford University Press for thBiometrika Trust The editor-in-chief is Paul Fearnhead (Lancaster University). The principal focus of this journal is theoretical statistics. It was es ...
''. The paper, titled "The design of optimum multifactorial experiments", introduced
Plackett–Burman experimental designs.
Academic career
In 1947, he became a lecturer at Liverpool University. He would also publish research on the history of statistics. Then, in 1962, he took a short post for the Professor of Statistics at
King's College, Durham
The Colleges of Durham University are residential colleges that are the primary source of accommodation and support services for undergraduates and postgraduates at Durham University, as well as providing a focus for social, cultural and sporting ...
before the college merged with
Newcastle University
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...
in 1963.
He was the first professor of statistics at Newcastle University and held the post until his retirement in 1983.
In 1987 the
Royal Statistical Society awarded him the
Guy Medal in Gold, having awarded him both the bronze and silver medals earlier in his career.
He authored several books on statistics, including '' Principles of Regression Analysis '' (1960), ''The Analysis of Categorical Data'' (1974) and '' An Introduction to the Interpretation of Quantal Responses in Biology'' (1979, with P. S. Hewlett).
Personal life
Plackett was said to have had a keen interest in climbing. He met his wife, Carol whom they have been married for 65 years. He also had three children: Adam,
Jane
Jane may refer to:
* Jane (given name), a feminine given name
* Jane (surname), related to the given name
Film and television
* ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd
* ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fil ...
and Martin.
References
Further reading
*
Academics of Newcastle University
English statisticians
1920 births
Fellows of the American Statistical Association
2009 deaths
Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge
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