A Characterization of 1979 ASA Members

The distribution of members of the American Statistical Association (ASA) by several demographic and professional measures is characterized.The analysis is based on a 1979 survey of ASA members who resided in the U.S.More detailed analysis focuses on how demographic and professional characteristics affect the distribution of income and the odds of participating in ASA activities.Several interesting observations are made.Years of experience since highest degree is the most important predictor of income.Highest degree and whether employed in academia are also important.There is a significant difference between the distribution of income for men and women; although the difference is insignificant at one year of experience, it increases with the experience level.Although the survey represented a 100% sample of blacks, Hispanics, and native Americans in the ASA, there is insufficient data to formulate a detailed model of income for this minority group; its average income, however, falls below the expected income of the majority population for higher experience levels.For both the odds of attending annual meetings and serving ASA as an officer or committee member, the most important discriminator is the highest degree of the member.Race is also a significant factor: blacks, Hispanics, and native Americans were least likely to attend annual meetings, and Asians and Pacific Islanders were least likely to hold office.Years of experience is important also for predicting the odds of having held office but not of having attended meetings.