Fellows will be sad to learn that Tony Haws has passed away at the age of 77. He will especially be remembered for his pivotal role in the merger of the Institute of Statisticians and Royal Statistical Society in 1993.
Tony was born on 23 October 1946. He attended King Edward VII school in Sheffield, went on to Wadham College Oxford to study mathematics, and then completed a PhD in Operational Research at the University of Birmingham in 1971.
His career was varied and included roles at the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board, the London Borough of Merton, the Research and Intelligence Unit of South Yorkshire County Council, the National Ports Authority and North West Gas.
Tony joined the Institute of Statisticians (IoS) in 1981 and became a member of the Council of the Institute in 1982. He was Deputy Honorary Secretary from 1987 to 1988, Honorary Secretary in 1989, and Chairman from 1990. From 1989 to 1991, Tony also edited The Statistician, the Institute’s journal.
A merger of the Institute with the Royal Statistical Society had been suggested on a number of occasions without lasting progress, and the issue was reopened during Tony’s Chairmanship. After much work, the IoS and the RSS finally merged on 1 January 1993. The success of the merger depended on balancing the interests and representation of members of the two bodies, and lengthy and careful discussions with the Privy Council relating to the RSS Royal Charter. The merger was a notable achievement for all involved, and Tony played a decisive role. He also served as RSS Vice President and Honorary Secretary from 1992 to 1996 and held Chartered Statistician status. He was awarded the Chambers Medal in recognition of his outstanding service to the RSS in 1995.
Alongside his successful career as a statistician, Tony felt an increasing call to church ministry. He began training for ordination at the Northern College in Manchester in 1994, and was ordained into the United Reformed Church in 1998. He gained a BA in Applied Theology from the University of Manchester in 1998 and an MA from the University of Newcastle in 2003. His first church was St Andrew’s Blackhill, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, and he moved to St Andrew’s church in Ealing in 2003 where he served until he retired from full time ministry in October 2013. He was a much loved and respected church minister, and remained active in church ministry for as long as possible.
Our sincere condolences go out to Tony’s family and friends at this time. A full obituary will be published in a forthcoming edition of our Series A journal.
Photo credit: Peter Knowles