William M. Haenszel

William Manning Haenszel (June 19, 1910 – March 13, 1998) was an American epidemiologist who developed the first national system to track cancer cases and their possible causes (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results or SEER). He was an elected fellow of the American Statistical Association, the American Public Health Association, and the American Association For the Advancement of Science.

Early life and education Haenszel was born on June 19, 1910, in Rochester, New York. He received his B.A. in sociology and mathematics from the University of Buffalo in 1931 and his M.A. in statistics there in 1932.