Short Answer
July 1963. The United States stood on the threshold of transformation—a nation of nearly 190 million people caught between the anxieties of the Cold War and the optimism of the New Frontier. In Washington, D.C., the Government Printing Office released the eighty-fourth edition of the Statistical Abstract of the United States, a cloth-bound volume priced at $3.75. For the Secretary of Commerce, the curious citizen, or the journalist, this book was the mirror of the nation. It told how many Americans lived, what they earned, where they worked, and how they were governed. In an era before the internet and before searchable databases, the Abstract was the definitive, authoritative summary of the American experience—a single volume that promised to show the nation to itself.
What Happened?
The Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1963 was published in July 1963 as the eighty-fourth annual edition of a series that had begun in 1878. Prepared under the direction of Edwin D. Goldfield, Chief of the Statistical Reports Division, the volume was a collaborative effort of the U.S. Department of Commerce under Secretary Luther H. Hodges and the Bureau of the Census under Director Richard M. Scammon.
The Census Bureau described the Abstract as “the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.” It was designed to serve as “a convenient volume for statistical reference, and as a guide to other statistical publications and sources both in print and on the Web.” Its data drew from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and many other Federal agencies and private organizations.
- Publication date: July 1963
- Edition: Eighty-fourth annual edition
- Price: $3.75 (cloth)
- Prepared by: Edwin D. Goldfield, Chief, Statistical Reports Division
- Department: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census
The 1963 edition continued a tradition of annual publication stretching back to 1878, when the first Statistical Abstract appeared. It was one of the final editions published under the direct supervision of the Census Bureau before the series was discontinued in 2012 and later taken over by ProQuest and Bernan Publishing.
How It Was Seen at the Time
Contemporaries regarded the Statistical Abstract as an indispensable reference. The Census Bureau framed it as a tool for practical use: “a convenient volume for statistical reference” that also pointed readers to other sources. The 1963 edition was reviewed by the Journal of the American Statistical Association in March 1964, a sign of its importance to the scholarly community.
“If you want to know something about America, there are few better places to start than the Statistical Abstract of the United States.” — Robert J. Samuelson, The Washington Post
Although this quote was written decades later, it captured the prevailing attitude of the 1960s: the Abstract was the nation’s statistical mirror, a book that ordinary citizens, academics, and policymakers could turn to for an authoritative portrait of the country. At $3.75, it was affordable enough for libraries, newsrooms, and many private homes.
Historical Snapshot
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | July 1963 |
| Place | Washington, D.C., United States |
| People | Edwin D. Goldfield (Chief, Statistical Reports Division), Luther H. Hodges (Secretary of Commerce), Richard M. Scammon (Director, Bureau of the Census) |
| What Happened | The 84th edition of the Statistical Abstract was published |
| Why It Mattered | It provided the definitive public summary of American social, economic, and political life at the height of the Cold War era |
What People Knew at the Time
| What People Knew Then | What We Know Now |
|---|---|
| The Abstract was the primary reference for U.S. statistics, compiled from federal agencies and private organizations | The same data is now available online, but the 1963 edition offers a fixed snapshot of how the nation saw itself at that moment |
| Data was collected from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and other federal agencies | Modern researchers can compare the 1963 data with later editions to track changes over decades |
| The volume was priced at $3.75 and was widely accessible | Digitized editions are now freely available through the Census Bureau and the FRASER digital library |
| The Abstract was seen as an authoritative, neutral source | Historians now recognize that the choice of categories and data reflects the priorities of the federal government of the era |
Numbers at the Time
The 1963 Abstract compiled statistics across the breadth of American life. While the volume itself contains hundreds of tables, its categories included the following:
| Category | Examples of Data Recorded |
|---|---|
| Population | Total population, age structure, birth rates, migration |
| Income and Employment | Per capita income, unemployment rates, labor force participation |
| Education | Enrollment, teachers, educational attainment |
| Health and Welfare | Life expectancy, hospital admissions, social security recipients |
| Government | Federal, state, and local finances; tax revenues |
| Economy | Gross national product, trade, industrial production |
These figures were not estimates or projections; they were the official data compiled by the federal government, drawn from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and other agencies. For contemporaries, these numbers were the most authoritative portrait of the American condition available.
Official Reports
The Statistical Abstract was itself an official document of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The 1963 edition was prepared under the direction of Edwin D. Goldfield, Chief of the Statistical Reports Division, with the general supervision of William Lerner, Assistant Chief, who was responsible for “general supervision, planning of content, and overall review.” Helen E. Teir was primarily responsible for the editorial compilation.
The publication was issued under the authority of the Bureau of the Census, with Richard M. Scammon serving as Director. The Bureau’s leadership included A. Ross Eckler as Deputy Director and several assistant directors overseeing research, operations, and administration. The Abstract was part of the Census Bureau’s broader mission to provide statistical information to the public, a mission that continued until the 2012 edition when budget cuts ended the Bureau’s direct involvement.
Daily Life
The Statistical Abstract offers a statistical window into daily life in 1963. The tables on income reveal what families earned; the education tables show how many children were in school; the health tables show life expectancy and the leading causes of death. These numbers were the texture of everyday existence.
For the average American in 1963, the Abstract was a reference book—a way to understand the nation’s conditions and one’s own place in it. A journalist might use it to verify a claim about the unemployment rate; a businessman might consult it to understand consumer trends; a student might use it for a school report. The Abstract was not a diary or a letter, but it was a portrait of the material conditions of American life, captured in the language of statistics.
How Historians See It Today
Historians today view the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1963 as a critical primary source for understanding the United States in the early 1960s. It captures the nation at a pivotal moment—months before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, at the height of the Cold War, and at the dawn of the civil rights movement’s most transformative years.
The Abstract is now recognized as part of a broader historical record. The Census Bureau published the series from 1878 to 2012, creating an unbroken statistical record of American life. After the 2012 edition, ProQuest and Bernan Publishing took over publication, but the 1963 edition remains a primary source for historians studying the era. Its categories, its data, and its limitations all reflect the priorities of the federal government in 1963—what it chose to measure and how it chose to measure it.
Historians also note that the Abstract is not a neutral artifact. The choice of categories and the data sources reflect the concerns of the time. The Cold War, for example, influenced the emphasis on defense spending and military statistics. The civil rights movement, though not yet at its peak, is reflected in the data on race, education, and income. The Abstract is a document of its time, and its data must be understood in that context.
The Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1963 stands as a testament to the power of statistics to capture the shape of a nation. For the people of 1963, it was a convenient reference, a way to understand the American condition. For historians today, it is a primary source that reveals what Americans knew about themselves, what they measured, and what they valued. The numbers themselves are the voices of a nation at a particular moment in time, and they continue to speak to us today.
FAQ
What is the Statistical Abstract of the United States?
The Statistical Abstract of the United States is a comprehensive annual summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. It was published by the U.S. Census Bureau from 1878 to 2012, and the 1963 edition was the 84th in the series. It compiled data from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and many other federal agencies and private organizations.
How much did the 1963 Statistical Abstract cost?
The 1963 edition was priced at $3.75 for the cloth-bound version, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's official page for the publication. This made it accessible to libraries, businesses, journalists, and individuals.
Why is the 1963 Statistical Abstract valuable to historians today?
The 1963 edition provides a fixed, authoritative snapshot of American life at a pivotal moment—the height of the Cold War, months before the assassination of President Kennedy. It reveals what Americans knew about themselves through the statistics the federal government chose to collect and publish, making it a unique primary source for understanding the era.
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