Robert Percival Porter

Robert Percival Porter (June 30, 1852 – February 28, 1917) was an American journalist, diplomat, and statistician who wrote on economic subjects. He served as Superintendent of the Census (1889–1893). In the statistical field, the first use of the term "computer" comes in an article in the Journal of the American Statistical Association archives by Porter in 1891. The article discusses about the use of Hermann Hollerith's machine in the 11th Census of the United States.

Early life and education Robert Percival Porter was born in Norwich, England, June 30, 1852.

He had four children,

Robert Percival Porter died February 28, 1917.

Selected works The West : from the census of 1880, a history of the industrial, commercial, social, and political development of the states and territories of the West from 1800 to 1880, with Henry Gannett,1882 Protection and free trade to-day : at home and abroad, in field and workshop, 1884 Free trade folly, 1886 Industrial Cuba : being a study of present commercial and industrial conditions, with suggestions as to the opportunities presented in the Island for American capital, enterprise, and labour, 1899 Life of William McKinley, soldier, lawyer, statesman, 1896 The dangers of municipal trading, 1907 The full recognition of Japan, being a detailed account of the economic progress of the Japanese empire to 1911, 1911 Japan, the new world-power : being a detailed account of the progress and rise of the Japanese empire, 1915 Japan, the rise of a modern power, 1917