Department of Statistics
1940s
Gertrude Cox was hired as professor of statistics and head of the Department of Experimental Statistics. She was the first woman at State College hired as full professor and department head at the same time.
Professor Gertrude M. Cox portraitJeanne Freeman became the first woman and the first person to earn a MS degree in experimental statistics.
Twenty-two women were listed on the faculty, most at the instructor or laboratory technician level. Departments with more than one woman employee included English (six), statistics (three), textiles (three), and modern languages (two). Women were also on the faculty in architecture, agricultural economics, mathematics, physics, social studies, chemistry, engineering, research, and agronomy.
1960s
The General Labs Building originally housed the administrative offices for the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, as well as the Departments of Physics and Statistics. In 1970, it was renamed Cox Hall in honor of Gertrude Mary Cox, professor emeritus of experimental statistics.
Cox Hall1970s
James H. Goodnight received an appointment as an assistant statistician in the new Department of Statistics. Over the next several years, Goodnight, a statistics student named John Sall, and others would lay the groundwork for SAS. SAS became one of the largest software providers in the world.
The Department of Experimental Statistics was renamed the Department of Statistics.
Formerly the General Labs Building, Cox Hall was dedicated in honor of Gertrude Mary Cox, professor emeritus of experimental statistics and the first woman named full professor at NC State. Cox Hall housed the physics and statistics departments.
Gertrude Cox standing in front of Cox HallStatistics professor Gertrude Cox was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Gertrude Cox at desk2000s
Statistics professor Daniel L. Solomon was named the fourth dean of the college.
SAS Hall was dedicated as the new home of the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics. The 119,000 square-foot building housed state-of-the-art classrooms, computer labs, tutorial centers and meeting and study space for students and faculty.
SAS Hall