Harry Campion
Encyclopedia
Sir Harry Campion, KCB
, CBE
(20 May 1905 - 24 May 1996) was a British
statistician
and the first director of what was the Central Statistical Office
of the United Kingdom. He was also first director of the United Nations
Statistical Office. He played a leading role in the development of official statistics, nationally and internationally, after the Second World War.
, Lancashire
, and was educated at Farnworth
Grammar School and Manchester University. After leaving university, Campion joined the newly formed Cotton Trade Statistical Bureau, which collected data on output and sales of the cotton industry in the UK and also data on cotton industries of other countries and principal export markets and where he took part in the preparation of a regular digest of statistics. He spent 1932 in the United States
, having been awarded a Rockefeller Foundation
scholarship, then returned to Manchester University where he became Robert Ottley Reader in Statistics from 1933 to 1939 and set up an Economic Research Section carrying out applied research. While at Manchester he published research on the distribution of national capital using estate duty data and a book on public and private property. In 1939, Mr Campion joined the Central Economic Intelligence Service (CEIS), part of the War Cabinet Office
, whose purpose was to provide economic and statistical material for a continuous survey of financial and economic plans and where Campion's role was to organise the statistics needed.
for a year to organise the creation of the United Nations Statistical Office. Following this secondment, Campion returned to the CSO until his retirement in March 1967.
Some of the statistical products which first saw the light of day in the Harry Campion era are:
(ECOSOC) invited a number of prominent national statisticians, including Harry Campion, to form a 'Nuclear’ Statistical Commission, which met from 1–14 May 1946 and made recommendations for the composition and terms of a permanent commission on statistics; the organisation of a statistical organisation; the disposition of existing statistical activities conducted by the League of Nations
; the relationship between the statistical activities of the UN and specialized agencies; and the relationship between the statistical activities of the UN and other non-governmental organisations. Shortly afterward, Campion was seconded, at the request of the first Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Trygve Lie
, to the UN for a year to organise the creation of the United Nations Statistical Office.
On his death, Sir Harry Campion bequeathed half the residue of his estate to the Royal Statistical Society
, who decided to commemorate him and the prominent part he played in the development of official statistics through a Fellowship. The Campion Fellowship ia awarded every two years with the maximum sum of money available on any occasion being £10,000, to Fellows of the Society to promote a specific piece of work or project that would make a significant contribution to the development, use or exposition of statistics on the economic or social well being of the population.
The Manchester Statistical Society was also a beneficiary of the estate of Sir Harry Campion and similarly the bequest was placed into a trust fund to provide occasional modest grants to support research consistent with the Society’s objective and history.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(20 May 1905 - 24 May 1996) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
statistician
Statistician
A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
and the first director of what was the Central Statistical Office
Central Statistical Office, UK
The Central Statistical Office was a British government department charged with the collection and publication of economic statistics for the United Kingdom...
of the United Kingdom. He was also first director of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Statistical Office. He played a leading role in the development of official statistics, nationally and internationally, after the Second World War.
Background and early career
Harry Campion (later Sir Harry Campion) was born in WorsleyWorsley
Worsley is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies along the course of Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. The M60 motorway bisects the area....
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, and was educated at Farnworth
Farnworth
Farnworth is within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton in Greater Manchester, England. It is located southeast of Bolton, 6 miles south-west of Bury , and northwest of Manchester....
Grammar School and Manchester University. After leaving university, Campion joined the newly formed Cotton Trade Statistical Bureau, which collected data on output and sales of the cotton industry in the UK and also data on cotton industries of other countries and principal export markets and where he took part in the preparation of a regular digest of statistics. He spent 1932 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, having been awarded a Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
scholarship, then returned to Manchester University where he became Robert Ottley Reader in Statistics from 1933 to 1939 and set up an Economic Research Section carrying out applied research. While at Manchester he published research on the distribution of national capital using estate duty data and a book on public and private property. In 1939, Mr Campion joined the Central Economic Intelligence Service (CEIS), part of the War Cabinet Office
War Cabinet
A War Cabinet is a committee formed by a government in a time of war. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers. It is also quite common for a War Cabinet to have senior military officers and opposition politicians as members....
, whose purpose was to provide economic and statistical material for a continuous survey of financial and economic plans and where Campion's role was to organise the statistics needed.
Career at the Central Statistical Office
In January 1941, the Central Statistical Office was established to co-ordinate all statistics brought before the War Cabinet and soon after, Campion became its first director. The CSO became established as a permanent feature of government focusing on the development of national income accounts. After the war, Campion was seconded to the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
for a year to organise the creation of the United Nations Statistical Office. Following this secondment, Campion returned to the CSO until his retirement in March 1967.
Some of the statistical products which first saw the light of day in the Harry Campion era are:
- Monthly Digest of Statistics, first published in 1946.
- Statistics of Trade Act 1947.
- Standard Industrial ClassificationStandard Industrial ClassificationThe Standard Industrial Classification is a United States government system for classifying industries by a four-digit code. Established in 1937, it is being supplanted by the six-digit North American Industry Classification System , which was released in 1997; however certain government...
, completed in 1947 and introduced in 1948. - Annual Abstract, first post-war publication at beginning of 1948.
- Index of Industrial Production, first published in February 1948.
- Economic Trends, appeared in November 1953.
- Development of the National AccountsNational accountsNational accounts or national account systems are the implementation of complete and consistent accounting techniques for measuring the economic activity of a nation. These include detailed underlying measures that rely on double-entry accounting...
including: - Employment Policy White Paper, first published in 1946.
- National Income and Expenditure Blue Book, first produced in September 1952.
- Sources and Methods, first edition published in 1956.
- quarterly estimates of national expenditure, first published in 1957.
- constant price estimates, appeared in 1959.
- seasonally adjusted estimates, appeared in 1960.
- quarterly balance of payments estimates and the Balance of Payments Pink Book, first published in 1960.
- Financial Statistics, first appeared in 1962.
United Nations
After the Second World War, the United Nations Economic and Social CouncilUnited Nations Economic and Social Council
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations constitutes one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and it is responsible for the coordination of the economic, social and related work of 14 UN specialized agencies, its functional commissions and five regional commissions...
(ECOSOC) invited a number of prominent national statisticians, including Harry Campion, to form a 'Nuclear’ Statistical Commission, which met from 1–14 May 1946 and made recommendations for the composition and terms of a permanent commission on statistics; the organisation of a statistical organisation; the disposition of existing statistical activities conducted by the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
; the relationship between the statistical activities of the UN and specialized agencies; and the relationship between the statistical activities of the UN and other non-governmental organisations. Shortly afterward, Campion was seconded, at the request of the first Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Trygve Lie
Trygve Lie
Trygve Halvdan Lie was a Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official and author. He served as Norwegian Foreign minister during the critical years of the Norwegian government in exile in London from 1940 to 1945. From 1946 to 1952 he was the first Secretary-General of the United...
, to the UN for a year to organise the creation of the United Nations Statistical Office.
Death and bequests
Sir Harry Campion died in 1996 aged 91.On his death, Sir Harry Campion bequeathed half the residue of his estate to the Royal Statistical Society
Royal Statistical Society
The Royal Statistical Society is a learned society for statistics and a professional body for statisticians in the UK.-History:It was founded in 1834 as the Statistical Society of London , though a perhaps unrelated London Statistical Society was in existence at least as early as 1824...
, who decided to commemorate him and the prominent part he played in the development of official statistics through a Fellowship. The Campion Fellowship ia awarded every two years with the maximum sum of money available on any occasion being £10,000, to Fellows of the Society to promote a specific piece of work or project that would make a significant contribution to the development, use or exposition of statistics on the economic or social well being of the population.
The Manchester Statistical Society was also a beneficiary of the estate of Sir Harry Campion and similarly the bequest was placed into a trust fund to provide occasional modest grants to support research consistent with the Society’s objective and history.
Posts held
- Director, Central Statistical Office, UK, 1941-1967.
- Member of the 'Nuclear' United Nations Statistics Commission, 1–15 May 1946.
- Director, United Nations Statistical Office, 1946–1947
- Chairman, United Nations Statistics CommissionUnited Nations Statistical CommissionThe United Nations Statistical Commission oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division or UNSD, and is a Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council...
, 1951 & 1953. - President, Royal Statistical SocietyRoyal Statistical SocietyThe Royal Statistical Society is a learned society for statistics and a professional body for statisticians in the UK.-History:It was founded in 1834 as the Statistical Society of London , though a perhaps unrelated London Statistical Society was in existence at least as early as 1824...
, 1957-1959. - President, International Statistical InstituteInternational Statistical InstituteThe International Statistical Institute is a professional association of statisticians. The Institut International de Statistique or International Statistical Institute was founded in 1885 although there had been international congresses from 1853.. The Institute publishes a variety of books and...
, 1963-1967. - Vice-President, Manchester Statistical SocietyManchester Statistical SocietyManchester Statistical Society is a learned society founded 1833 in Manchester, England. It claims to be "the first organisation in Britain to study social problems systematically and to collect statistics for social purposes" and in 1834 to be "the first organisation to carry out a house-to-house...
.
Awards
- CBE (1945).
- CB (1949).
- RSS Guy Medal in Silver (1950).
- KCB (1957).
- Honorary LLB, Manchester (1967).
Further reading
- Ward, R & Doggett, T. (1991). Keeping Score: The First Fifty Years of the Central Statistical Office. London: HMSO.
- Obituary: Sir Harry Campion, 1905–96, W. Rudoe, Journal of the Royal Statistical SocietyJournal of the Royal Statistical SocietyThe Journal of the Royal Statistical Society is a series of three peer-reviewed statistics journals published by Blackwell Publishing for the London-based Royal Statistical Society.- History :...
. Series A (Statistics in Society), Vol. 160, No. 1 (1997), pp. 148–151
External links
- Report to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations on the first session of the Statistics Commission held from 27 January to 7 February 1947, paragraph 7, page 4.
- United Nations Statistics Division
- "Monthly Digest of Statistics", ONS. Retrieved 15 June 2006.
- "Statistics of Trade Act 1947", (as amended), ONS library service. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
- "Introduction to UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities UK SIC(92)", ONS. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
- "Annual Abstract of Statistics", ONS. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
- "Index of Production - UK", ONS. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
- "Economic Trends", ONS. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
- "United Kingdom National Accounts - The Blue Book", ONS. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
- "United Kingdom Balance of Payments - The Pink Book", ONS. Retrieved 15 June 2007.
- "Financial Statistics", ONS. Retrieved 15 June 2007.