Finding Aid to the F. N. David Papers, 1921-1989
Finding Aid written by Bancroft Library Staff
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
© 2010
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Finding Aid to the F. N. David Papers, 1921-1989
Collection Number: BANC MSS 95/23 c
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
- Finding Aid Written By:
- Bancroft Library Staff
- Date Completed:
-
October 2010
© 2010 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Collection Summary
Collection Title: F. N. David papers
Date (inclusive): 1921-1989
Collection Number: BANC MSS 95/23 c
Creator :
David, F. N. (Florence Nightingale)
Extent:
Number of containers: 10 cartons and 1 oversize folder.
Linear feet: 12.5
Repository: The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
Abstract: Documents mainly the professional life of F.N. David, although a
scattering of personal items is included. Personal papers include notes and drawings from
university course work, a high school autograph book, and some correspondence. Professional
papers include curriculum vitae, writings, speeches, correspondence, photographs, research
notes and calculations, lecture notes and background materials, and information regarding
her work with the British armed forces during World War II and the United States on security
issues after the war.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite
and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these
materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Information for Researchers
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17,
U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of
University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and
publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of
the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials
must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library,
University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See:
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html .
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], F. N. David Papers, BANC MSS 95/23 c, The Bancroft Library,
University of California, Berkeley.
Alternate Forms Available
There are no alternate forms of this collection.
Additional Notes on Collection:
Some materials that were labeled "SECRET" based on National Security have been removed
for review.
Related Collections
Jerzy Neyman papers: BANC MSS 84/30 c
Separated Material
Papers belonging to Jerzy Neyman were removed to be added to his papers.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
Women statisticians
History of science and technology collection
David, F. N. (Florence
Nightingale), 1909-1993--Archives
University of California,
Berkeley. Dept. of Statistics
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The F.N. David papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Charles Stein on March 21,
1995.
Accruals
No additions are expected.
System of Arrangement
Arranged to the folder level.
Processing Information
Processed by Bancroft Library staff in 2008
Biographical Information
F.N. (Florence Nightingale) David was born on August 23, 1909 in Ivington, England. She
graduated from Bedford College for Women in 1931 with a degree in Mathematics. Her intention
was to become an actuary in the insurance business, but she found she could not be hired
because she was a woman. Frustrated, she sought out Karl Pearson at University College in
London and began graduate studies and work as his research assistant. While working on her
PhD she became an assistant lecturer in the Statistics Department at University College and
worked closely with Jerzy Neyman and Egon Pearson. Together they launched a new statistical
journal called
Statistical Research Memoirs. Encouraged by
Neyman after Karl Pearson died, she completed her PhD in 1938.
During WW II, David took advantage of new opportunities that opened up for women by working
as an experimental officer for the Ordinance Board at the Ministry of Supply and a senior
statistician for the Research and Experiments Department of the Ministry of Home Security.
She also served on the Land Mines Committee of the Scientific Advisory Council and as a
scientific advisor for the Military Experimental Establishment. After the war, she continued
to work on these projects for the British government as well as conducting similar research
in the United States and Canada.
She continued as a lecturer and reader in the Statistics Department of University College
until she was promoted to professor in 1962. From 1958 to 1967 she was a visiting professor
and research statistician in the Department of Statistics and Applied Climatology and
Forestry Division at the University of California, Berkeley. She later replaced Jerzy Neyman
as chair of that department. In 1967, she came permanently to the United States, joining the
Department of Biostatistics at UC Riverside and becoming the chair of the Department of
Statistics in 1970. After her retirement in 1977, she returned to Berkeley as professor
emeritus and research associate in biostatistics.
David became a fellow of the American Statistical Association in 1954. She authored nine
books between 1938 and 1968 and wrote or co-wrote more than one hundred papers in scientific
journals. She was the first recipient of the Elizabeth L. Scott award in 1992 for her
"efforts in opening the door to women in statistics," which, considering her early setbacks
in the London insurance industry, must have been very gratifying. In 2001, the Committee of
Presidents of Statistical Societies and the Caucus for Women in Statistics established the
F. N. David Award to reward women statisticians for acting as role models to other women
through outstanding research and service.
F. N. David died on July 23, 1993.
Scope and Content of Collection
Documents mainly the professional life of F.N. David, although a scattering of personal
items is included. Personal papers include notes and drawings from university course work, a
high school autograph book, and some correspondence. Professional papers include curriculum
vitae, writings, speeches, correspondence, photographs, research notes and calculations,
lecture notes and background materials, and information regarding her work with the British
armed forces during World War II and the United States on security issues after the war.
Series 1.
Biographical Information.
1921-1988
Physical Description:
Carton 1: folders 1-3
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically
Scope and Content Note
Includes an autograph book, curriculum vitae, publications lists, and an oral
history.
Carton 1, Folder 1
Autograph book.
Circa 1921
Carton 1, Folder 2
Curriculum vitas and Publications lists.
1933-1969
Series 2.
Correspondence.
1930-1989
Physical Description:
Carton 1: folders 4-26; Carton 2: folders 1-4
Arrangement
Chronological, then alphabetical where arranged by correspondent by the creator
Scope and Content Note
Contains incoming and outgoing correspondence with colleagues and friends. There are
three subjects/correspondents identified by name: Frank Haight, Jerzy Neyman, and Piero
Mustacchi. Those folders have been separated from the chronological correspondence files
and placed at the end of the series.
Carton 1, Folder 4-25
Correspondence.
1930-1989
Carton 2, Folder 1-3
Jerzy Neyman Festschrift.
1964-1965
Carton 2, Folder 4
Mustacchi, Piero.
1965-1967
Series 3.
Lecture Notes.
1972
Physical Description:
Carton 2, folder 5
Arrangement
Arranged as received
Scope and Content Note
Includes lecture notes and background reading for a course on statistics taught in
1972
Series 4.
Photographs.
1944-1959 and undated
Physical Description:
Carton 2, folder 6
Arrangement
Arranged as received
Scope and Content Note
Includes headshots of F. N. David and group shots.
Carton 2, Folder 6
Photographs.
1944-1959 and undated
Series 5.
Statistical Research and Data.
1969 and undated
Physical Description:
Carton 2: folders 7-28; Carton 3-4
Arrangement
Arranged as received
Scope and Content Note
Includes calculations made by F. N. David in the course of her research. The subjects
of the calculations are in most cases unidentified. Only two folders included any
information on the subject matter; these are at the beginning of the series and are
labeled "Type III". Only folder #9 includes any indication of date. These files differ
from the subject files which follow in that subject files have an identifiable subject
and include other materials, such as correspondence and drafts of papers.
Carton 2, Folder 9
Statistical Research and Data.
1969 and undated
Carton 2, Folder 13-28
Statistical Research and Data.
undated
Carton 3, Folder 1-25
Statistical Research and Data.
undated
Carton 4, Folder 1-27
Statistical Research and Data.
undated
Series 6.
Subject Files.
1939-1967 and undated
Physical Description:
Cartons 5 and 6
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically
Scope and Content Note
Includes statistical calculations, background materials for research, correspondence,
and drafts of papers. Most of the materials are undated.
Carton 5, Folder 1
Aspirated Thermocouples.
undated
Carton 5, Folder 8
Complete Enumeration.
undated
Carton 5, Folder 11
Contagious Occupancy Distribution.
undated
Carton 5, Folder 13
Dispersion, Rank Test for.
undated
Carton 5, Folder 15-17
Diversity Mapping.
undated
Carton 5, Folder 18
Diversity, Measures of.
undated
Carton 5, Folder 20
History of Games of Chance.
Circa 1956
Carton 5, Folder 26
Lattices, Alternate.
undated
Carton 5, Folder 27
Lattices with Balls.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 1
Matched Pairs and Randomization.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 2
Normal Bivariate Surface: Negative.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 3
Normal Bivariate Surface: Positive.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 4-5
Ordered Intervals of a Line.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 7-10
Polykays of Natural Numbers.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 12
Randomization Regression.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 14
Ranking Correlations.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 15
Restricted Occupancy Problem.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 17
Sampling Distributions.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 18
Sequential Golliwogs Problem.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 19-20
Sequential Occupancy.
1964
Carton 6, Folder 21-22
Serial Correlations.
undated
Carton 6, Folder 24-27
Symmetric Functions.
1952-1965
Carton 6, Folder 29-30
Wilcox Alternative.
undated
Series 7.
Talks and Speeches.
1971-1980 and undated
Physical Description:
Carton 7, folders 1-7
Arrangement
Chronologically by date, then alphabetically
Scope and Content Note
Includes talks and speeches given by David and related correspondence. The series is
organized chronologically, then alphabetically by title or subject, where the material
is undated. File titles given by David were preserved.
Carton 7, Folder 1
Lecture for B&A.
December 21, 1971
Carton 7, Folder 3
Adolphe Quétalet Talk.
1980
Carton 7, Folder 4-5
History of Probability and Statistics.
undated
Carton 7, Folder 6
Poisson, Simeon-Denis.
undated
Carton 7, Folder 7
Unidentified speech.
undated
Series 8.
Writings and Publications.
1932-1989 and undated
Physical Description:
Carton 7, folders 8-34; Carton 8
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by type of writing (biographies, book reviews, books, drafts,
history, reprints, scientific and technical reports), then alphabetically by title or
subject or chronologically where dates were available. One folder contains reviews of
David's work.
Scope and Content Note
Includes biographies, book reviews, books, drafts, history, reprints, scientific and
technical reports written or contributed to by David. A copy of her publications list
from 1932-1972 is the first folder in the series.
Carton 7, Folder 8
Publications list.
1932-1972
Carton 7, Folder 10
Miscellaneous drafts.
undated
Carton 7, Folder 11
Nightingale, Florence.
undated
Carton 7, Folder 13
Obituary: Scott, Elizabeth.
1989
Carton 7, Folder 18
Elementary Statistical Exercises.
1961
Carton 7, Folder 19
Gods, Games, and Gambling.
undated
Carton 7, Folder 20-21
The Golden Journey.
undated
Carton 7, Folder 22-23
History manuscript.
undated
Carton 7, Folder 24-30
The Practice of Statistics.
undated
Carton 7, Folder 31
Probability Theory for Statistical Methods.
1947-1950
Drafts.
1951-1966 and undated
Carton 7, Folder 33-34
Dicing and Gambling.
undated
Carton 8, Folder 1
"History of Statistics."
undated
Carton 8, Folder 2-3
"Models of Functional Relationship."
undated
Carton 8, Folder 5
"Patterns in the Application of Statistical Methods to Political Science
Research."
undated
Carton 8, Folder 6
"Three Tests for Space-Time Interaction."
1966
History.
1958 and undated
Carton 8, Folder 8
"The Doctrine of Chances."
undated
Carton 8, Folder 11
Miscellaneous Drafts.
undated
Carton 8, Folder 12
"Mr. Newton, Mr. Pepys and Dyse."
1958
Carton 8, Folder 31
Reviews of F. N. David.
1963-1967
Carton 8, Folder 32
Scientific Reports: "Pressure as a Function of Distance."
1962
Carton 8, Folder 33
Scientific Reports: "An "Effective" Stochastic Model for Interpreting the
Correlation between the Precipitation at 2 Stations."
1963
Carton 8, Folder 34
Technical Reports #5 and 6: Measurement of Diversity."
1970
Carton 8, Folder 35
Technical Reports: "Karl Pearson and Correlation."
1976
Series 9.
Notebooks
1932 and undated
Physical Description:
Carton 9; Carton 10, folders 1-7
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically
Scope and Content Note
Includes notebooks from classes and other research activities. Some may be from David's
secondary school years and include drawings on the subjects of anatomy, biology, and
botany. A few may date from her undergraduate career.
Carton 9, Folder 6
Comparative Biology.
undated
Carton 9, Folder 8
Harmonic Analysis.
undated
Carton 9, Folder 9
Historical Notes.
undated
Carton 9, Folder 11
Probability Notes.
undated
Carton 9, Folder 12
Professor Aitkins Notes on the Theory of Symmetric and Alternative
Polynomials.
undated
Carton 9, Folder 13-16
Professor Pearson Notebooks, I-IV.
1932 and undated
Carton 10, Folder 1-2
Professor Pearson Notebooks, V-VI.
undated
Carton 10, Folder 7
Zoology Practical Book.
undated
Series 10.
World War II and Defense Work.
1941-1945
Physical Description:
Carton 10, folders 8-16; Oversize Folder 1
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically
Scope and Content Note
Includes reports, publications, and background materials relating to the work David
performed for the British Armed Forces during World War II. Also included are materials
relating to work that she did for the British, U. S. and Canadian governments after the
war was over. This material has mostly been removed for declassification review.
Carton 10, Folder 8
Curves for P% Circles and Average Radial Error.
1944
Carton 10, Folder 9
Expectation in Multiple Combat; Combat Variants.
1941
Carton 10, Folder 10-11
Monograph: "The Blast Detonation of Anti-Tank and Anti-Personnel Mines."
1945
Carton 10, Folder 12
Notebook and Data Sheets.
Circa 1943
Carton 10, Folder 13
The Phenomenon of Aerial Aim-Wander.
1945
Oversize B, Folder 1
Stranded Charge File.
1945
