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I. Olkin 91.3.1 The Visiting Lecturer Program in StatisticsThe Visiting Lecturer Program (VLP) in Statistics was a major undertakingby COPSS. At the Annual Meeting of the IMS held at Stanford University inAugust 1960, discussion in the Council of the Institute, program presentations,and general comment forcibly re-emphasized the need to attract many morecompetent young people to professional careers in statistics. Governmental,educational, and industrial requirements for trained statisticians were not beingmet, and new positions were being created at a faster rate than the outputof new statisticians could address. The difficulty was compounded by a paucityof information about careers in statistics, by the loss of instructional personnelto higher-paying, non-academic employment, and by competition from othersciences for students with mathematical skills. A proposal for a program ofvisiting scientists in statistics covering the years 1962–67 was drawn up andpresented to the National Science Foundation. The program was funded in1962 by means of a three-year NSF grant to set up the Visiting LecturerProgram in Statistics for 1963–64 and 1964–65 under the Chairmanship ofJack C. Kiefer. The VLP was administered by the IMS but became a COPSSCommittee because of the nature of its activities.The original rationale for the VLP was described as follows.“Statistics is a very broad and exciting field of work. The mainpurpose of this program is to convey this excitement to students andothers who may be interested. Specifically, we hope that this programwill:1. Provide information on the nature of modern statistics.2. Illustrate the importance of statistics in all fields of scientific endeavor,particularly those involving experimental research, andto encourage instruction in statistics to students in all academicareas and at all levels.3. Create an awareness of the opportunities for careers in statisticsfor students with high quantitative and problem-solving abilitiesand to encourage them to seek advanced training in statistics.4. Provide information and advice to university and college facultiesand students on the present availability of advanced training instatistics.5. Encourage the development of new courses and programs instatistics.”Over the years the objectives changed somewhat, and by 1995 the Programhad five similar main objectives: (1) to provide education and information onthe nature and scope of modern statistics and to correct misconceptions heldin regard to the science; (2) to establish and emphasize the role that statisticsplays in research and practice in all fields of scientific endeavor, particularlythose involving experimental research, and to encourage instruction in statisticaltheory and application to students in all academic areas; (3) to create anawareness of the opportunities for careers in statistics among young men and