Leo Goodman, trailblazer in statistics and social sciences, dies at 92

Leo Goodman, professor emeritus of sociology and statistics, died at the age of 92. (Photo courtesy of the Goodman family) Leo Goodman, whose pioneering statistical analysis revolutionized the study of poverty, inequality and other social phenomena, died of a COVID-19-related lung infection on Dec. 22 at Alta Bates Summit Hospital in Berkeley. He was 92. For three decades, Goodman was UC Berkeley's Class of 1938 Professor in the departments of sociology and statistics. He was widely considered to be among the founding fathers of modern statistics. Among numerous other accomplishments, he pioneered techniques that are still considered a gold standard in sociology scholarship worldwide.