Professor Richard Cormack
We were saddened to learn of the passing of Professor Richard Cormack, the first Professor of Statistics at the University of St Andrews and a pioneering figure in statistical ecology.
Richard passed away on 20 February at the age of 90. Born in Glasgow, he was an exceptional scholar from an early age and went on to make foundational contributions to the analysis of mark‑recapture data — work that led to the development of what are now known as the Cormack–Jolly–Seber models, central to modern population ecology.
After academic posts in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, Richard joined St Andrews in 1972, where he established and led the Department of Statistics, helping to build the strong statistical community the university is recognised for today. Richard firmly established the University of St Andrews as a centre for statistical ecology. It is a tribute to his contributions that St Andrews now boasts the largest group of statistical ecologists in the UK, and one of the largest in the world.
Richard’s ground-breaking contributions continued when he addressed the issue of heterogeneity in capture probabilities, publishing a test for heterogeneity in Biometrics in 1966. Then in 1972, in another Biometrics paper, he showed the logic behind capture-recapture estimates, making the methods more accessible and understandable to the user community.
Richard was also an accomplished sportsman, musician and photographer and is remembered as much for his breadth of interests as for his academic achievements. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and those who worked closely with him. His legacy in statistics and ecology will continue to shape the field for generations and his presence at seminars and other scientific meetings greatly missed.
RSS – Richard Cormack, 1935–2026
