Best of Three—Three Women Who Revolutionized Statistical Practice

Frances Elizabeth “Betty” Allan (1905–1952) was Australia’s first consulting statistician. A prize-winning mathematician at the University of Melbourne, she won scholarships to train in applied statistics at Cambridge and Rothamsted where she contributed to theoretical developments in correlation, orthogonal polynomials, and missing data estimation. She worked for a decade at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR, now CSIRO) as a statistical consultant, introducing modern statistical design and analysis methods to agriculture and forestry research, often without recognition. Despite her vital role in establishing Australia’s agricultural research strength, the government marriage bar forced her resignation in 1940. She continued teaching statistics until her early death in 1952 at the age of 47.