In Memory of Norman Nie, may he rest in peace

[ViAnn Beadle]

Norman Nie, one of the principal creators of SPSS died today. I have known Norman since 1969 when I was a graduate student in Political Science at the University of Chicago. Norman gave me my first real job in 1972 and my life would not be what it is without his mentorship, encouragement, and support.

Norman was a graduate student at Stanford University in the ‘60s who had a big problem to solve: how to analyze thousands of political surveys conducted among residents of 7 nations with nominally Democratic governments. In those days, the tool of choice was an IBM counter-sorter which was used to tabulate punch cards. Norman along with Tex Hull and Dale Bent (also at Stanford) developed a program to run on an IBM 360 to do all the drudge work and called it the Statistical Program for the Social Sciences. It was later renamed SPSS. Norman was the first and most influential user of SPSS. Norman and Tex both took jobs at the University of Chicago, Norman in the Political Science Department and Tex at the Computation Center. Even before they came to Chicago, SPSS was being adopted by graduate schools and governmental agencies. I was hired to provide technical support to the rapidly expanding user base for SPSS and retired in 2007.

Norman was first and foremost, a talented and respected Political Scientist and probably more proud of his contributions to Political Science than SPSS.

There would be no SPSS without Norman and all former and current SPSSers who knew him, miss him today.

===================== To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to [hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the command. To leave the list, send the command SIGNOFF SPSSX-L For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command INFO REFCARD

[Bruce Weaver]

Thanks for sharing ViAnn.  While doing a search on <Norman Nie>, I found this "Oral History of Norman Nie" that may be of interest to some list members.

   http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102702140

Bruce

ViAnn Beadle wrote

Norman Nie, one of the principal creators of SPSS died today. I have known
Norman since 1969 when I was a graduate student in Political Science at the
University of Chicago. Norman gave me my first real job in 1972 and my life
would not be what it is without his mentorship, encouragement, and support.

Norman was a graduate student at Stanford University in the '60s who had a
big problem to solve: how to analyze thousands of political surveys
conducted among residents of 7 nations with nominally Democratic
governments. In those days, the tool of choice was an IBM counter-sorter
which was used to tabulate punch cards. Norman along with Tex Hull and Dale
Bent (also at Stanford) developed a program to run on an IBM 360 to do all
the drudge work and called it the Statistical Program for the Social
Sciences. It was later renamed SPSS. Norman was the first and most
influential user of SPSS. Norman and Tex both took jobs at the University of
Chicago, Norman in the Political Science Department and Tex at the
Computation Center. Even before they came to Chicago, SPSS was being adopted
by graduate schools and governmental agencies. I was hired to provide
technical support to the rapidly expanding user base for SPSS and retired in
2007.

Norman was first and foremost, a talented and respected Political Scientist
and probably more proud of his contributions to Political Science than SPSS.

There would be no SPSS without Norman and all former and current SPSSers who
knew him, miss him today.

=====================
To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command
SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
INFO REFCARD

[GauravSrivastava]

Thanks for sharing this. My deepest condolences go to his family. May his soul rest in peace.

On Apr 3, 2015 7:22 AM, "Bruce Weaver" <[hidden email]> wrote:

Thanks for sharing ViAnn.  While doing a search on <Norman Nie>, I found this
"Oral History of Norman Nie" that may be of interest to some list members.

   http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102702140

Bruce



ViAnn Beadle wrote
> Norman Nie, one of the principal creators of SPSS died today. I have known
> Norman since 1969 when I was a graduate student in Political Science at
> the
> University of Chicago. Norman gave me my first real job in 1972 and my
> life
> would not be what it is without his mentorship, encouragement, and
> support.
>
> Norman was a graduate student at Stanford University in the '60s who had a
> big problem to solve: how to analyze thousands of political surveys
> conducted among residents of 7 nations with nominally Democratic
> governments. In those days, the tool of choice was an IBM counter-sorter
> which was used to tabulate punch cards. Norman along with Tex Hull and
> Dale
> Bent (also at Stanford) developed a program to run on an IBM 360 to do all
> the drudge work and called it the Statistical Program for the Social
> Sciences. It was later renamed SPSS. Norman was the first and most
> influential user of SPSS. Norman and Tex both took jobs at the University
> of
> Chicago, Norman in the Political Science Department and Tex at the
> Computation Center. Even before they came to Chicago, SPSS was being
> adopted
> by graduate schools and governmental agencies. I was hired to provide
> technical support to the rapidly expanding user base for SPSS and retired
> in
> 2007.
>
> Norman was first and foremost, a talented and respected Political
> Scientist
> and probably more proud of his contributions to Political Science than
> SPSS.
>
> There would be no SPSS without Norman and all former and current SPSSers
> who
> knew him, miss him today.
>
> =====================
> To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to

> LISTSERV@.UGA

>  (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
> command. To leave the list, send the command
> SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
> For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
> INFO REFCARD





-----
--
Bruce Weaver
[hidden email]
http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/

"When all else fails, RTFM."

NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly.
To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above.

--
View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/In-Memory-of-Norman-Nie-may-he-rest-in-peace-tp5729140p5729141.html
Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

=====================
To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command
SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
INFO REFCARD

===================== To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to [hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the command. To leave the list, send the command SIGNOFF SPSSX-L For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command INFO REFCARD

[David Marso]

Sorry to hear of Norman's passing.  
He was a good guy once you got past the initiation.

ViAnn Beadle wrote

Norman Nie, one of the principal creators of SPSS died today. I have known
Norman since 1969 when I was a graduate student in Political Science at the
University of Chicago. Norman gave me my first real job in 1972 and my life
would not be what it is without his mentorship, encouragement, and support.

Norman was a graduate student at Stanford University in the '60s who had a
big problem to solve: how to analyze thousands of political surveys
conducted among residents of 7 nations with nominally Democratic
governments. In those days, the tool of choice was an IBM counter-sorter
which was used to tabulate punch cards. Norman along with Tex Hull and Dale
Bent (also at Stanford) developed a program to run on an IBM 360 to do all
the drudge work and called it the Statistical Program for the Social
Sciences. It was later renamed SPSS. Norman was the first and most
influential user of SPSS. Norman and Tex both took jobs at the University of
Chicago, Norman in the Political Science Department and Tex at the
Computation Center. Even before they came to Chicago, SPSS was being adopted
by graduate schools and governmental agencies. I was hired to provide
technical support to the rapidly expanding user base for SPSS and retired in
2007.

Norman was first and foremost, a talented and respected Political Scientist
and probably more proud of his contributions to Political Science than SPSS.

There would be no SPSS without Norman and all former and current SPSSers who
knew him, miss him today.

=====================
To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command
SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
INFO REFCARD

[Maguin, Eugene]

Bruce, thank you for finding that interview and posting the link. It was interesting to read. Gene Maguin

-----Original Message-----
From: SPSSX(r) Discussion [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Bruce Weaver
Sent: Thursday, April 02, 2015 9:53 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: In Memory of Norman Nie, may he rest in peace

Thanks for sharing ViAnn.  While doing a search on <Norman Nie>, I found this "Oral History of Norman Nie" that may be of interest to some list members.

   http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102702140

Bruce



ViAnn Beadle wrote

> Norman Nie, one of the principal creators of SPSS died today. I have
> known Norman since 1969 when I was a graduate student in Political
> Science at the University of Chicago. Norman gave me my first real job
> in 1972 and my life would not be what it is without his mentorship,
> encouragement, and support.
>
> Norman was a graduate student at Stanford University in the '60s who
> had a big problem to solve: how to analyze thousands of political
> surveys conducted among residents of 7 nations with nominally
> Democratic governments. In those days, the tool of choice was an IBM
> counter-sorter which was used to tabulate punch cards. Norman along
> with Tex Hull and Dale Bent (also at Stanford) developed a program to
> run on an IBM 360 to do all the drudge work and called it the
> Statistical Program for the Social Sciences. It was later renamed
> SPSS. Norman was the first and most influential user of SPSS. Norman
> and Tex both took jobs at the University of Chicago, Norman in the
> Political Science Department and Tex at the Computation Center. Even
> before they came to Chicago, SPSS was being adopted by graduate
> schools and governmental agencies. I was hired to provide technical
> support to the rapidly expanding user base for SPSS and retired in
> 2007.
>
> Norman was first and foremost, a talented and respected Political
> Scientist and probably more proud of his contributions to Political
> Science than SPSS.
>
> There would be no SPSS without Norman and all former and current
> SPSSers who knew him, miss him today.
>
> =====================
> To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to

> LISTSERV@.UGA

>  (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the command. To leave the
> list, send the command SIGNOFF SPSSX-L For a list of commands to
> manage subscriptions, send the command INFO REFCARD





-----
--
Bruce Weaver
[hidden email]
http://sites.google.com/a/lakeheadu.ca/bweaver/

"When all else fails, RTFM."

NOTE: My Hotmail account is not monitored regularly.
To send me an e-mail, please use the address shown above.

--
View this message in context: http://spssx-discussion.1045642.n5.nabble.com/In-Memory-of-Norman-Nie-may-he-rest-in-peace-tp5729140p5729141.html
Sent from the SPSSX Discussion mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

=====================
To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to [hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the command. To leave the list, send the command SIGNOFF SPSSX-L For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command INFO REFCARD

=====================
To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command
SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
INFO REFCARD

[David Marso]

Interesting read about interesting times and people.
Note that interview was done in 1986.
I first used SPSS In 1983.
Amazing how things have changed over about 30 years.
---

Bruce Weaver wrote

Thanks for sharing ViAnn.  While doing a search on <Norman Nie>, I found this "Oral History of Norman Nie" that may be of interest to some list members.

   http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102702140

Bruce

ViAnn Beadle wrote

Norman Nie, one of the principal creators of SPSS died today. I have known
Norman since 1969 when I was a graduate student in Political Science at the
University of Chicago. Norman gave me my first real job in 1972 and my life
would not be what it is without his mentorship, encouragement, and support.

Norman was a graduate student at Stanford University in the '60s who had a
big problem to solve: how to analyze thousands of political surveys
conducted among residents of 7 nations with nominally Democratic
governments. In those days, the tool of choice was an IBM counter-sorter
which was used to tabulate punch cards. Norman along with Tex Hull and Dale
Bent (also at Stanford) developed a program to run on an IBM 360 to do all
the drudge work and called it the Statistical Program for the Social
Sciences. It was later renamed SPSS. Norman was the first and most
influential user of SPSS. Norman and Tex both took jobs at the University of
Chicago, Norman in the Political Science Department and Tex at the
Computation Center. Even before they came to Chicago, SPSS was being adopted
by graduate schools and governmental agencies. I was hired to provide
technical support to the rapidly expanding user base for SPSS and retired in
2007.

Norman was first and foremost, a talented and respected Political Scientist
and probably more proud of his contributions to Political Science than SPSS.

There would be no SPSS without Norman and all former and current SPSSers who
knew him, miss him today.

=====================
To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to
[hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the
command. To leave the list, send the command
SIGNOFF SPSSX-L
For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command
INFO REFCARD

[John F Hall]

I've forwarded ViAnn’s message to the ASA SRMS list, (UK) Quantitative Methods Teaching list, added Norman to my Personal Pantheon page

 

http://surveyresearch.weebly.com/my-personal-pantheon-of-the-great-and-the-good-in-survey-research.html

 

and included a photo and ViAnn's tribute.

 

John F Hall (Mr)

[Retired academic survey researcher]

 

Email:   [hidden email] 

Website: www.surveyresearch.weebly.com

SPSS start page:  www.surveyresearch.weebly.com/1-survey-analysis-workshop

 

 

 

===================== To manage your subscription to SPSSX-L, send a message to [hidden email] (not to SPSSX-L), with no body text except the command. To leave the list, send the command SIGNOFF SPSSX-L For a list of commands to manage subscriptions, send the command INFO REFCARD