Fellows and staff at the RSS were very sad to hear that RSS fellow John Michael (Mike) Haslam CStat died on Saturday 26 June after a period of ill health.
A Chartered Statistician, Mike joined the GSS in 1968 and served most of his career in the Department of Transport in a wide variety of posts, including a key role in ensuring the continuity of essential surveys and time series relating to transport in London, following the abolition of the Greater London Council. Later in his career, he transferred to Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to support the head of profession there on the important role of compliance with National Statistics principles. He retired in 2014.
He was a key figure in both the Institute of Statisticians (IoS) and the Royal Statistical Society - in fact, he was instrumental in the merger of the two organisations, which took place in 1993. He served on RSS Council (2004-2006) and on the Society's Professional Affairs Committee.
He reached out to users of statistics as chair of BURISA - an informal, non-profit association for people working in information systems in public services that at the time was affiliated to the RSS through its membership of the Statistics User Forum.
Former RSS President, Professor Denise Lievesley, remembers his time at the RSS. 'He was so important at the time of the merger as he helped to smooth the relationship between the two societies,' she says. 'He will be remembered for his love for his family, loyalty to friends, commitment to official statistics, a great sense of fun, and his irreverence. Mike was the opposite of pompous!'
Our sincerest condolences go out to Mike's friends and family at this time.