Allan McCutcheon, 66, of Lincoln, professor emeritus of statistics and survey research and methodology, died May 3.
McCutcheon, who retired in August 2015, was a faculty member at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln for more than 19 years. He served as founding director of the UNL-Gallup Research Center and was founding chair of UNL’s survey research and methodology program.
McCutcheon also helped establish master’s and doctoral programs in survey research and methodology.
In 2012, McCutcheon was among a group of the nation’s leading statisticians and analysts who used exit polls and other voting data to declare the winner in election projections supplied to The Associated Press and major television networks.
He also was part of an Edison Research team that has served as the sole provider of exit poll information for ABC, the AP, CBS, CNN and NBC since 2003.
McCutcheon was active in professional organizations related to public opinion research. That involvement included serving as general secretary for the World Association for Public Opinion Research from 2000 to 2015.
McCutcheon earned a Bachelor of Science in sociology from Iowa State University in 1972. He received a master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from the University of Chicago in 1977 and 1982, respectively.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Crockett, and daughter, Jennifer Holm.
A memorial service will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. June 4 at the Van Brunt Visitors Center, 313 N. 13th St.
Donations are suggested to the Lincoln Food Bank, the United Negro College Fund and the Janet Harkness Student Paper Award.
