"Equally Available to Anyone”: Creating the First Census Microdata Sample at the U.S Census Bureau

Diana Magnuson, University of Minnesota
Steven Ruggles, University of Minnesota

The availability of microdata for social science research has grown exponentially since its creation in the 1960s. Powered by parallel technological advances over the last sixty years, creation and manipulation of microdata for transformative historical and policy research has also exploded. This paper explores the creation of the first census microdata sample at the U.S. Census Bureau in the early 1960s. Drawing on historical evidence from the National Archives including Census Bureau internal memoranda, technical advisory committee minutes, and correspondence, as well as a variety of secondary and primary source materials gathered from public and private collections, our research aims to uncover the history of the people and social science behind the development of the U.S. Census microdata.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 106. Data Infrastructure Resources Past and Present