Gertrude Mary Cox Papers 1918-1999
- Creator
- Cox, Gertrude M.
- Size
- 11 linear feet (20 boxes, 2 card boxes, 1 half box, 1 flat folder)
- Call number
- MC 00117
The Gertrude Mary Cox Papers consists of correspondence, diaries, photographs, speeches, articles, diplomas, certificates, newspaper clippings, and other materials relating to her career in statistics, her consulting work, travel, honors received, and the Cox Fellowship which was created in her honor at North Carolina State University. Her writings relate statistics to various subjects, including education, agriculture, nutrition, experimental design, biometrics, horticulture, home economics, and international research.
Gertrude Mary Cox (1900-1978) served as head of the Statistics Department at North Carolina State College from 1940 to 1949. She played an important role in founding the Research Triangle Institute in 1959 and held the position of Director, Statistics Research Division at the Institute from 1959 until 1964. In 1949 Cox became the first woman elected into the International Statistical Institute. In 1956 she was elected President of the American Statistical Association while in 1975 she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Biographical/historical note
Gertrude Mary Cox was born in Dayton, Iowa in 1900. She received a B.S. in Mathematics and an M.S. in statistics, from Iowa State College in 1929 and 1931 respectively, and then enrolled in a doctoral program in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. After two years in California, she was persuaded to return to Iowa to continue her work in statistics. From 1933 to 1940, Cox taught at Iowa State before Leaving for N.C. State College, where she remained until 1960. From 1940 - 1949 she served as head of the Department of Experimental Statistics. In 1949, Cox left this position to administer the North Carolina Institute of Statistics. She is most noted for her role in the 1959 founding of the Research Triangle Institute, where she held the position of Director, Statistics Research Division until 1964. She was also active as a consultant, working with universities in Thailand and Egypt. Cox received numerous awards, including an honorary Doctorate of Science in statistics from Iowa State College in 1958, and membership in the National Academy of Science. In 1949 she became the first woman elected into the International Statistical Institute. In 1956 she was elected President of the American Statistical Association. She was also named a Fellow in the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. She died in 1978.
Scope/content
The Gertrude Mary Cox Papers consists of correspondence, diaries, photographs, speeches, articles, diplomas, certificates, newspaper clippings, and other materials relating to her career in statistics, her consulting work, travel, honors received, and the Cox Fellowship which was created in her honor at North Carolina State University. Her writings relate statistics to various subjects, including education, agriculture, nutrition, experimental design, biometrics, horticulture, home economics, and international research.
Arrangement
This collection is divided into six series:
- 1. Correspondence,
- 2. North Carolina State University Papers,
- 3. Organizations/Consulting Papers,
- 4. Personal Papers,
- 5. Speeches/Papers/Publications.
- 6. Unprocessed Materials
Use of these materials
North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Gertrude Mary Cox Papers, MC 00117, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Related material
Source of acquisition
Gift of Francis McVey, 1978 (Accession 1978.0017), the North Carolina State University Department of Statistics, 1980 (Accession 1980.0012), David M. Mason, 1983 (Accession 1983.0009 and Accession 1983.0010), R. L. Anderson, 2002 (2002.0001), and Ruth Hutchison, 2010 (2010.0215).
The collection is organized into six principal series:
This series consists mainly of Cox's correspondence with and about her colleagues in the field of statistics from the United States and abroad. Also included are such items as diary letters sent by Cox from overseas, correspondence with students, and biographical information on fellow statisticians.
1.5 archival boxes
Includes diary letters from the Netherlands and Japan, 1960.
This series contains some material pertaining to Cox's role as Head of the Statistics Department at North Carolina State University, but most of the material reflects her continuing relationship with the university after leaving it to concentrate on her role at the Research Triangle Institute. The series also includes information on the Cox Fellowship Program, as well as material on the dedication of Cox Hall in 1970.
1 archival box
This series documents Gertrude Cox's involvement in a number of professional associations and other organizations. Most of the organizational material derives from her association with statistical organizations such as the American STatistical Association and the International Statistical Institute. Also a part of this series is material from many of the consulting projects in which Cox participated, including her work in Thailand and Egypt.
8 archival boxes
1968-1971, undated
1971
Diaries, appointment books, and address books spanning a period of sixty years. Also included are awards and certificates, material relating to church and civic involvement, personal correspondence, and travel information.
5 archival boxes
Note: the diary for 1938-42 is very small. For a partial photocopy of this diary, please see Series 1. 7.14a. For diary letters from Egypt, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Netherlands, 1960-1964, see MC 117 Box 14 Folder 11 and MC 117 Box 1 Folder 12.
Texts of numerous talks given by Gertrude Cox from 1940 to 1977; most of Dr. Cox's published writings; her master's thesis at Iowa State College; corrections and publisher correspondence from both the first edition and revised edition of her book with William G. Cochran, Experimental Designs; and general notes and correspondence related to Cox's speeches and writings.
7 archival boxes
October 13, 1953
Speeches/Papers/Publications
July 11, 1955
July 12, 1955
1968
March 14, 1969
1933
1936
Access to the collection
This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to digital files may require additional advanced notice.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111
Phone: (919) 515-2273
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Gertrude Mary Cox Papers, MC 00117, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Use of these materials
North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.