Pollster Andrew Kohut Dies at Age 73

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Andrew Kohut, a leading pollster for more than three decades and founding director of the Pew Research Center, died Tuesday at age 73.

Kohut's son, Matthew, said his father died from a form of leukemia.

A president of The Gallup Organization from 1979 to 1989, Kohut also founded Princeton Survey Research Associates and later helped start the Washington-based Pew Research Center, a "fact tank" that runs independent surveys of U.S. public opinion on politics, public policy and the press.

"In an era when many numbers, including polling, have become increasingly automated and commodified, Andy always reminded us that the 'public' in public opinion is not an indiscriminate force. It is people," Pew president Michael Dimock said in a statement.

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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/pollster-andrew-kohut-dies-age-73-33609524

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WASHINGTON — Sep 8, 2015, 9:42 PM ET

[Gloria]

1. OH, this really hits home as I worked with Andy at Gallup...

It was my second job in the research field, I left a company where I been an assistant coding supervisor and was lucky enough to get into Gallup. I started out on Route 206 at the "branch" where the telephone surveys were done, but I was an assistant study director.
I wrote reports on all sorts of things.
I then got to go to 53 Bank Street, in town. At the time, Gallup was still independent and the founder, George Gallup, still roamed the halls.
Andy was a GREAT GUY! He and Leonard Wood alternated the Presidency from year to year.
I remember the big outer office, with the coffee pot....
I didn't deal with him very often directly, but when I did, he encouraged me and I really respected him!

I had left the field when he founded Pew and he moved to D.C.

Just a side note: one of the women I worked with at Route 206 later went to D.C. to work with Peter Hart, a Dem pollster you may know...
He would come back to Princeton and one time I met him in the parking lot of the Princeton Shopping Center and it was really nice to see him again...he did remember me!

ANDY WAS AN HONEST POLLSTER!!! He had real integrity....

R.I.P., Andy....we'll miss you!!!~