12/21/1993

McGuire Retires from Statistics Position

AUBURN, Ala. - John McGuire of Auburn spent the last 25 years working with the laws of probability as a statistician. Now days he's spending more time enjoying the laws of nature and leisure.

McGuire, a native of Banner, Miss., recently retired as head of Research Data Analysis and professor emeritus of Botany and Microbiology at Auburn University.

McGuire received his bachelor's degree in animal husbandry from Mississippi State College (now Mississippi State University) in 1951. After graduating, he spent two years serving with the U.S. Army, including about 15 months with the 7th Infantry Division in Korea. Following his stint in the service, McGuire returned to Mississippi to farm with his family until he re-entered Mississippi State to get a master's in animal husbandry.

When his master's work was completed, McGuire went to work as superintendent of the Natchez Branch of the Mississippi Agricultural Experiment Station, then came to Auburn in 1964 to obtain a doctorate in animal breeding and genetics.

In 1968, he accepted a position with the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station's Department of Research Data Analysis as a statistician. He became interim head of the department in 1984, and was named head in 1987.

Though his background was diverse, McGuire said statistics always intrigued him. "Statistics was one of my minors, one of three: biochemistry, statistics and animal physiology. That made me well rounded for the job," he laughed.

"Statistics allows us to take a sample or a limited number of observations and make inferences about what happens on a large scale basis," explained McGuire. "You cannot evaluate every object in a population so you have to draw a sample and make an inference on that based on the laws of probability."

"Research Data Analysis provides a broad scope of services," he continued. "We might do anything from spending a few minutes talking with a researcher about how to set up an experiment or analyze their data. Or we can take the data they collect, get them entered to be analyzed, and provide an analysis complete with interpretations. Or we can start at the beginning when the research project is being planned, work on a detailed experimental design and carry it through any phase that they want us to."

According to McGuire, statistics hasn't changed much through the years, but the method of computing did change. "From the time I first arrived, we went from a mechanical calculator and very primitive computer to some very sophisticated computing machinery and programs," he said. "By the time I retired, the desk top computers could do more than that original computer that took up a whole room."

In addition to his work with researchers, McGuire also taught graduate level courses in statistical computing.

"I plan to do some consulting in the future, but right now I'm enjoying life very much and I don't have time to get everything done."

McGuire also plans to travel with his daughter, Jennifer Lynn, who is a sophomore at Auburn High School, and his wife Elouise and enjoy leisure time at their home on Lake Martin.

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12/21/93