The foundations of statistics at Stanford

In 1998 the Stanford University Department of Statistics celebrated its 50t h anniversary and dedicated its new home, the new Sequoia Hall. The occasio n was marked by a two-day reunion conference during which a number of Stanf ord graduates reminisced about their years as students and reported on thei r careers since their degrees. The remarks that follow (by a non-Stanford g raduate) were delivered at the conference banquet January 17, 1998, preside d over by Stanford President Gerhard Gasper. The history of statistics at S tanford up until 1948 is examined, including the little-known roles played in this history by Harold Hotelling, Ronald A. Fisher, and W. Alien Wallis, and a traditional Bay Area toast is offered.