Wives of International Statistical Conference Delegates

Quote from Sarah Alice Rice, "Since the International Statistical Conferences in 1947 was the first international meeting anywhere in the U.S. following the second war, every effort was made for the participants to have some opportunity of informal acquaintance with Washingtonians. As far as I know, this was the first time an effort was made to have every wife or daughter accompanying delegates to be entertained in small groups in U.S. homes. This program was most successful and even high-ranking women in government graciously participated, including Mrs. Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in the cabinet. This set something of a precedent for many times in following meetings of the International Statistical Institute meeting in other countries, delegates and wives were invited in small groups to homes for dinner, i.e. Stockholm, Belgrade, Sydney. In Washington we invited only wives to luncheons, for the membership of the entire five meetings would have been too large to organize, there being well over 500."