studies in the new program in statistics at students, and gaining approvals from the
The University of North Carolina. university administration. The department
Minton earned a PhD in statistics from subsequently expanded to offer degrees at
North Carolina State University under the all levels, provide consultative assistance
tutelage of Gertrude Cox, during the time to faculty research and outside clients, and
when the Institute of Statistics of the Greater conduct research in statistical theory and
University of North Carolina consisted of methods.
the Department of Mathematical Statistics After 10 years developing and admin-
at UNC Chapel Hill and the Department istering the SMU department, Minton
of Experimental Statistics at NC State in moved to Richmond, Virginia, to take
Raleigh. Many famous statisticians were the position of dean of the School of Arts
either faculty members or visitors when and Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth Walter Cronkite with the UNIVAC
Minton was a student there, including R. A. University in 1972. There, in addition
Fisher, Harold Hotelling, William Cochran, to his duties as dean, he formed an insti-
Jacob Wolfowitz, Herbert Ellis Robbins, tute of statistics—a form of liaison office
James River Trio, a group devoted to oper-
R. L. Anderson, and Raj Chandra Bose. between the Department of Mathematical
etta music and Broadway show tunes. In
Minton once related a story in which Fisher Sciences in the School of Arts and Sciences
addition to his love of music and abilities
was sitting in the front row of the audience and the Department of Biostatistics in
as a performer, there was a “dark issue that
when he (Minton) gave his first paper as a the Medical College of Virginia. He also
clouded his life,” as his son Roland related:
graduate student. As if that fact alone were was active in statistical consulting in local
his love of puns. He won contests for sup-
not enough to frighten an already nervous industry, including paper manufacturing,
plying “punny” definitions to crossword
graduate student, the situation became polymer plastics processors, pharmaceu-
puzzles in the 1940s. And, also related
“infinitely worse” (Minton’s words) when ticals, a national baking company, and a
by Roland, on Paul’s first date with Mary
Fisher left the room in the middle of the federal agency. He retired from VCU in
Frances Hickman, who was to become his
talk. Minton told another story about his 1988. That year, a special symposium was
wife of 62 years, he told her he was engaged
final PhD oral examination, in which he organized in his honor, attended by many
to a girl with a wooden leg and didn’t know
had a bad case of laryngitis. He attributed former students and colleagues.
if he should break it off or not.
this to nerves, and said, to his knowledge, Minton received numerous academic
The puns actually made it into the sta-
he had the world’s only silent orals. and professional awards, including being
tistics world as well. Minton and some
Minton returned once again to SMU named a Fellow of the American Statistical
friends combined musical talents with pun
and began to build a set of courses in Association and being an early recipient of
writing by creating a “statistical songbook”
mathematical and applied statistics for stu- the ASA Founders Award. In his honor, the
from which they performed at the ASA
dents from a wide range of subject-matter SMU Statistics Department created the Paul
150-year-old celebration in 1989. In the
departments in the university. These offer- Minton Award for the student who scores
hands of these statistical punsters, the tune
ings gradually evolved into the formation of highest on the basic qualifying examination
“Bali Hai” from the musical “South Pacific”
the Department of Statistics at SMU, now at SMU. The Southern Regional Council
became the results for a test of statisti-
known as the Department of Statistical on Statistics created the Paul Minton Service
cal significance: “Barely High.” These and
Science. At the same time, Minton began Award, which has been given annually
other rewritten song lyrics can be found
to recognize the importance of computing since 1992. Minton was a long-time mem-
in the songbook, which was published in
in statistics, and as a result of his expressed ber of the ASA, Institute of Mathematical
the August 1990 issue of The American
opinions, he was assigned to direct the first Statistics, and Biometric Society. He found-
Statistician.
computer center at SMU, which housed ed the North Texas Chapter of the ASA and
Minton was preceded in death by his
the UNIVAC 1103, one of the few large was an active participant in a variety of roles
beloved Mary Frances in February of 2006.
scientific computers available at the time. during the years he was in Dallas. Later, he
He is survived by his sons, George Minton
Funded primarily by a training grant was active with the Virginia Academy of
of Carrollton, Texas, and Roland Minton of
from the National Institutes of Health for Sciences (the Virginia Chapter of ASA)
Salem, Virginia; three grandchildren; and a
training biostatisticians and other grants, and helped organize the Southern Regional
brother. Minton recruited students to the
Minton established a new Department of Conferences on Statistics. He participated
newly developing field of statistics, found
Statistics at SMU in 1962. It was significant in numerous committees, task forces, coun-
money to support them during their student
in obtaining faculty approval of the new cils, and boards, and he served one term as
days, and helped them find jobs after they
department that he had provided research vice president of the ASA.
graduated. Others have said of him that he
consultation in either statistics or comput- Minton had an active life outside the
was a gentle person, with a gentle tempera-
ing, or both, to every department in the statistics profession. He was a lover of clas-
ment, but he changed the lives of hundreds,
university. The new department offered sical music in general, and opera in par-
if not thousands, of statistical students, just
master’s and doctoral degrees following the ticular. With a rich baritone voice, Minton as he changed the lives of many others who
North Carolina model, and received con- sang in productions with the Richmond knew him outside the profession.
sultation and assistance from Cox in most Opera Company and his beloved church A memorial session has been orga-
aspects of administering the department, choir at Grace and Holy Trinity Church nized to honor Minton at the 2008 Joint
including obtaining funding, recruiting in Richmond. He was one-third of the Statistical Meetings in Denver.
FEBRUARY 2008 AMSTAT NEWS 29
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