Eckler, A. Ross, 1901-1991

A. Ross Eckler was born May 22, 1901 in Van Hornesville, New York, to Albert Henry and Mary Jane (Young) Eckler. He married Jennie Howe on August 7, 1924. He received an AB from Hamilton College in 1922; an AM from Harvard University in 1928; and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1934. He was a statistician and director of the statistics laboratory for the Harvard Economic Society from 1924 to 1931; an assistant librarian and instructor in public utility economics at Harvard University from 1931 to 1935. He came to Washington, D.C. in 1935 to serve as chief of special inquiries and assistant director for research at the Works Progress Administration, where he served until 1939. He began his career at the Bureau of the Census in 1939 as assistant chief in the population division, becoming chief of the population division in 1942, and chief of the special surveys division in 1943. In 1945, he became chief social science analyst at the Bureau and assistant director in 1947. He served as deputy director from 1949 to 1965. In 1965, he was appointed director of the Bureau of the Census and held that position until 1969. In addition to his government service, he was U.S. representative to many international conferences on statistics. He died March 14, 1991.

From the description of Eckler, A. Ross, 1901-1991 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10570713