Founding of the American Statistical Association

Background. The American Statistical Association is the primary professional organization for statisticians and related professionals in the United States. It serves statisticians, quantitative scientists, and users of statistics across many academic areas and applications. The association is recognized as the second-oldest continuously operating professional society in the U.S., behind the Massachusetts Medical Society, which was founded in 1781.

Founding. The association was established in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 27, 1839. Boston is the capital and most populous city of Massachusetts, serving as a cultural and financial center of New England. The founding date is a conventional historical marker for the organization's establishment.

Context. Boston, where the association was founded, is the capital and most populous city of Massachusetts. It serves as a cultural and financial center of New England, a region of the Northeastern United States. The city's status as a major hub provides the institutional context for the society's establishment.