[Genealib] Re:1940 census (sampling)

[Phyllis Rickard]

I'm behind on reading my mail.

I don't really know anything about the 1940 census, but I know a bit about the 1950 census. My mother was a census taker for the 1950 census. She told a story about stopping at one household to collect information. She said that whoever's name landed on a specific line (such as every 5th - though it might have been a different number). Anyway, extra questions were asked of that person. In this household it was a child whose name was on that line and the father was quite unhappy with the questions that she was asking in reference to the child.

Phyllis Rickard
AV / Outreach Librarian
Lenawee County Library
Adrian, MI
prickard at monroe.lib.mi.us

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: L.L. Scott 
  To: Librarians Serving Genealogists 
  Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 12:07 PM
  Subject: Re: [Genealib] Re:1940 census (sampling)


  I used the 1940 census record to get my Social Security.
  So there must be info on it. Don't know where my copy of the record is  :-(
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Karen Stuart 
    To: Librarians Serving Genealogists 
    Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 10:56 AM
    Subject: [Genealib] Re:1940 census (sampling)


    Absolutely NOT true; to do so would be in violation of the U.S. Constitution.  The statistical sampling that was done in 1940 was for the *housing* census, not the population census.  See the U.S. Census Bureau's page: http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1940.htm 

    There has been some discussion of adopting sampling methods for future population censuses to reduce cost and, it is argued, to produce more "accurate" statistical data.  




    On Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 11:08 AM, <director at perry.lib.ok.us> wrote:

      No... what I meant to say is that I thought I heard that the 1940 census
      is a statistical sample of PEOPLE. Meaning that the census stopped
      attempting to record every person, because there were simply too many,
      and that if you look at the 1940 census when it comes out, you'll only
      be able to see the people they talked to.

      Is that true?


      Thanks,

      Jeffrey

      --

      Jeffrey Courouleau, MLIS
      Head Librarian
      Perry Carnegie Library
      302 N. 7th Street
      Perry, OK, 73077

      E-Mail: <director at perry.lib.ok.us>
      Ph: 580-336-4721 or 1-866-336-4721
      Fax: 580-336-5497
      Web: http://www.perrypl.okpls.org/





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