Mollie Orshansky (January 9, 1915 – December 18, 2006) was an American economist and statistician who, in 1963–65, developed the Orshansky Poverty Thresholds, which are used in the United States as a measure of the income that a household must not exceed to be counted as poor.
Mollie Orshansky
Orshansky in 1967
Born
(1915-01-09)January 9, 1915
New York City, NY, USA
Died
December 18, 2006(2006-12-18) (aged 91)
New York City, NY, USA
Nationality
American
Alma mater
Hunter College, American University
Occupation(s)
Economist, Statistician
Known for
Developed the official measurement of poverty used by the U.S. government
Orshansky was born January 9, 1915, the third of six daughters of Samuel and Fannie Orshansky, Jewish immigrants who settled in the Bronx, New York City after leaving Ukraine. She attended Hunter College High School, and received an A.B. in mathematics and statistics from Hunter College in 1935. Orshansky continued graduate studies in economics and statistics at the Department of Agriculture Graduate School at American University.[1]
In 1939, Orshansky became a research clerk with the Children's Bureau; working on biometric studies of child health, growth, and nutrition. In January 1942, as a statistician in the New York City Department of Health, she worked on a survey of the incidence of, and therapies for, pneumonia. In 1945, Orshansky moved to the U.S. Department of Agriculture; where she spent the next thirteen years as a family economist, director of the Program Statistics Division, and a food economist.
In 1958, Orshansky joined the Social Security Administration as a social science research analyst in the Office of Research and Statistics. In this capacity, she was responsible for analytical studies to measure income adequacy, family welfare and patterns of family income. In 1963, Orshansky developed the official measurement of poverty used by the U.S. government (seePoverty in the United States). She used the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet as the basis for a cost-of-living estimate; and to calculate a cost of living for families of different sizes and composition.[2][3]
Her interest in the subject came from personal experience. "She knew first-hand what it was like to grow up poor… as she grew up, she became quite familiar with the experience of having to forego one small purchase in order to have the money for something else. She later summed up this aspect of her early life by saying, ‘If I write about the poor, I don’t need a good imagination — I have a good memory.[4]
In 1976, Orshansky received the Distinguished Service Award in recognition for her leadership in creating the first nationally accepted measurements of income adequacy and applying them to public policy. Her retirement came in 1982.[1]
Orshansky was hospitalized in the autumn of 2001, and a legal battle ensued over her care. Orshansky was taken to New York, according to her wishes, but a judge who had appointed a guardian tried to compel her return to Washington DC. The judge was overruled on appeal, and Orshansky died in Manhattan several years later.[5][6]
Popular culture
Orshansky's development of the Poverty Thresholds was a plot element in an episode of the United States television program The West Wing. In the episode "The Indians in the Lobby," the federal government was considering a reclassification of poverty that would have made use of a new formula to add four million additional citizens to the category. Orshansky, a native-born U.S. citizen, was characterized incorrectly in the show as an Eastern European immigrant who created a United States "cost of living formula ... based on life in Poland during the Cold War."[7]
References
^ abMollie Orshansky Social Security History on ssa.gov
^Mollie Orshansky. Children of the Poor. Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 26, No. 7, July 1963, pp. 3-13.
^Mollie Orshansky. Counting the Poor: Another Look at the Poverty Profile. Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 28, No. 1, January 1965, pp. 3-29
^"Mollie Orshansky: Her Career, Achievements, and Publications". 2015-09-29.
^Written statement of Jane M. Pollack before the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging February 11, 2003, in transcript of Senate Committee on Aging hearing Guardianship over the Elderly: Security Provided or Freedoms Denied?
^Chan, Sewell (April 17, 2007). "Mollie Orshansky, Statistician, Dies at 91". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
^Aaron Sorkin. The Indians in the Lobby. West Wing Transcripts.
External links
A Chronological Bibliography of Mollie Orshansky’s Publications (Including Congressional Testimony). Compiled and annotated by Gordon M. Fisher, at hhs.gov
Mollie Orshansky (1977). Documentation of Background Information and Rationale for Current Poverty Matrix. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Gordon M. Fisher (December 2008). "Remembering Mollie Orshansky—The Developer of the Poverty Thresholds". Social Security Bulletin. 68 (3). ISSN 1937-4666.
March 13, 2023
mollie, orshansky, january, 1915, december, 2006, american, economist, statistician, 1963, developed, orshansky, poverty, thresholds, which, used, united, states, measure, income, that, household, must, exceed, counted, poor, orshansky, 1967born, 1915, january. Mollie Orshansky January 9 1915 December 18 2006 was an American economist and statistician who in 1963 65 developed the Orshansky Poverty Thresholds which are used in the United States as a measure of the income that a household must not exceed to be counted as poor Mollie OrshanskyOrshansky in 1967Born 1915 01 09 January 9 1915New York City NY USADiedDecember 18 2006 2006 12 18 aged 91 New York City NY USANationalityAmericanAlma materHunter College American UniversityOccupation s Economist StatisticianKnown forDeveloped the official measurement of poverty used by the U S government Contents 1 Life and career 2 Popular culture 3 References 4 External linksLife and career EditOrshansky was born January 9 1915 the third of six daughters of Samuel and Fannie Orshansky Jewish immigrants who settled in the Bronx New York City after leaving Ukraine She attended Hunter College High School and received an A B in mathematics and statistics from Hunter College in 1935 Orshansky continued graduate studies in economics and statistics at the Department of Agriculture Graduate School at American University 1 In 1939 Orshansky became a research clerk with the Children s Bureau working on biometric studies of child health growth and nutrition In January 1942 as a statistician in the New York City Department of Health she worked on a survey of the incidence of and therapies for pneumonia In 1945 Orshansky moved to the U S Department of Agriculture where she spent the next thirteen years as a family economist director of the Program Statistics Division and a food economist In 1958 Orshansky joined the Social Security Administration as a social science research analyst in the Office of Research and Statistics In this capacity she was responsible for analytical studies to measure income adequacy family welfare and patterns of family income In 1963 Orshansky developed the official measurement of poverty used by the U S government see Poverty in the United States She used the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet as the basis for a cost of living estimate and to calculate a cost of living for families of different sizes and composition 2 3 Her interest in the subject came from personal experience She knew first hand what it was like to grow up poor as she grew up she became quite familiar with the experience of having to forego one small purchase in order to have the money for something else She later summed up this aspect of her early life by saying If I write about the poor I don t need a good imagination I have a good memory 4 In 1976 Orshansky received the Distinguished Service Award in recognition for her leadership in creating the first nationally accepted measurements of income adequacy and applying them to public policy Her retirement came in 1982 1 Orshansky was hospitalized in the autumn of 2001 and a legal battle ensued over her care Orshansky was taken to New York according to her wishes but a judge who had appointed a guardian tried to compel her return to Washington DC The judge was overruled on appeal and Orshansky died in Manhattan several years later 5 6 Popular culture EditOrshansky s development of the Poverty Thresholds was a plot element in an episode of the United States television program The West Wing In the episode The Indians in the Lobby the federal government was considering a reclassification of poverty that would have made use of a new formula to add four million additional citizens to the category Orshansky a native born U S citizen was characterized incorrectly in the show as an Eastern European immigrant who created a United States cost of living formula based on life in Poland during the Cold War 7 References Edit a b Mollie Orshansky Social Security History on ssa gov Mollie Orshansky Children of the Poor Social Security Bulletin Vol 26 No 7 July 1963 pp 3 13 Mollie Orshansky Counting the Poor Another Look at the Poverty Profile Social Security Bulletin Vol 28 No 1 January 1965 pp 3 29 Mollie Orshansky Her Career Achievements and Publications 2015 09 29 Written statement of Jane M Pollack before the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging February 11 2003 in transcript of Senate Committee on Aging hearing Guardianship over the Elderly Security Provided or Freedoms Denied Chan Sewell April 17 2007 Mollie Orshansky Statistician Dies at 91 New York Times Retrieved 2010 03 04 Aaron Sorkin The Indians in the Lobby West Wing Transcripts External links EditA Chronological Bibliography of Mollie Orshansky s Publications Including Congressional Testimony Compiled and annotated by Gordon M Fisher at hhs gov Mollie Orshansky JSTOR Mollie Orshansky 1977 Documentation of Background Information and Rationale for Current Poverty Matrix U S Department of Health Education and Welfare O Connor John J Robertson Edmund F Mollie Orshansky MacTutor History of Mathematics archive University of St Andrews Gordon M Fisher December 2008 Remembering Mollie Orshansky The Developer of the Poverty Thresholds Social Security Bulletin 68 3 ISSN 1937 4666 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mollie Orshansky amp oldid 1065036736, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
