George Waddel Snedecor was born 20 October 1881 in Memphis, Tennessee. Snedecor earned his B.S. (1905) in mathematics and physics at the University of Alabama and his M.S. (1913) in physics from the University of Michigan. That same year he became an Assistant Professor (1913-1914) of mathematics at Iowa State College (University). He was soon promoted to Associate Professor (1914-1931) and eventually Professor (1931-1958).



Early in his career at Iowa State, Snedecor became interested in statistics, particularly as the subject applied to agricultural research. He collaborated with Henry A. Wallace and instituted weekly seminars during the winter and spring of 1924 which were the beginning of specialized interest in statistical research at Iowa State.



Growing demand for statistical services caused Iowa State to create the Mathematics Statistical Service in the Department of Mathematics in 1927 with Snedecor in charge. In 1933, Snedecor organized the Statistical Laboratory at Iowa State College and became the Laboratory's first Director (1933-1947). Under his direction, the Statistical Laboratory grew to become one of the most prominent statistical labs in the country. Snedecor retired from administrative duties in 1947, but continued to teach and research full-time until 1952.



Snedecor was renowned throughout the world for his work in statistics. He was elected as a fellow of several national and international organizations including: the American Statistical Association, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the British Royal Statistical Society, and the International Biometric Society. In addition to these organizations, he was also a member of the International Statistical Institute, the Iowa Academy of Science, Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, Gamma Alpha, Pi Mu Epsilon, and Kappa Sigma. He also served as President (1948) of the American Statistical Association, making him the first person in the field of agricultural research ever to head the Association. In recognition of his outstanding career, Snedecor received an honorary Doctorate of Science from both North Carolina State University (1956) and Iowa State University (1958).



During his career, Snedecor wrote numerous articles on the subject of statistics. He cooperated with Henry A. Wallace to publish Correlation and Machine Calculation (call no. QA75 W155c) in 1925. He also authored Calculation and Interpretation of Analysis of Variance and Covariance (1934), and Statistical Methods (1937). This last book went through seven editions prior to Snedecor's death and has been translated into numerous languages. Snedecor is credited with advancing the use of statistical methods throughout the world.



In 1958, Snedecor accepted a position as a private consultant for the U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory in San Diego, California. He passed away in Amherst, Massachusetts, on 15 February 1974.