A conservation with T. W. Anderson (Q1082331)

This interview, conducted by the author, is a chatty discussion of Anderson's career as a statistician. It covers the institutions at which he studied (North Park College, Chicago; Northwestern and Princeton), the positions he later held (with the Cowles Commission for Research in Economics), and universities where he has taught (first at Columbia, then Stanford). Anderson explains how he first became interested in statistics, provides inside stories about places and colleagues, and evaluates the most significant aspects of his own work, especially in multivariate statistics. He also describes the major influences on his career, and reflects on the significance of the division between applied versus theoretical statistics, assesses the effects of computer science on the field, and ends with a prediction about the future of statistics.