Royal Statistical Society

The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) is a learned society for statistics and a professional body for statisticians in the UK. It was founded in 1834 as the Statistical Society of London, in the same week that the Tolpuddle Martyrs were sentenced (see History of Teaching Statistics). At that time there were many provincial statistics societies throughout Britain, but most have not survived. The Manchester Statistical Society (which is older than the LSS) is a notable exception.

Instrumental in founding the LSS were Richard Jones (economist), Charles Babbage,Adolphe Quetelet, William Whewell and Thomas Malthus. Among its famous members was Florence Nightingale, who was the society's first female member in 1858. Notable RSS presidents have included William Beveridge and Harold Wilson.

The LSS became the RSS (Royal Statistical Society) by Royal Charter in 1887, and merged with the Institute of Statisticians in 1993. Today the society has 7,200 around the world, of whome some 1,500 are professionally qualified.

The Society has been particularly engaged with the passage of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, having long argued for legislation on statistics.

The RSS team reached the finals of University Challenge: The Professionals 2006. They were beaten 230 to 125 by the Bodleian Library, Oxford. They had previously beaten the Granta team in the first round (first broadcast on 24 July) before going on to beat the team from Prospect Magazine 280 points to 115 in the semi-final, broadcast on 31 July.

The RSS organises an annual conference, the most recent being at the University of York in July 2007, and awards Guy Medals in Gold, Silver and Bronze, in honour of William Guy,