Page 65 - Historical Dictionary of Political Communication in the United States

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GALLUP POLL. The term Gallup Poll is used in a variety of ways. It is applied
to a series of surveys about public opinion, such as the CNNAJS A Today Gallup
Poll, conducted by the Gallup Organization. The term is also used more gen-
erally to refer to any survey project conducted by the Gallup Organization.
However, its original use refers to a newspaper poll about American public
opinion that was started by George Gallup. In 1972, the results of the various
Gallup Polls since 1935 were combined into a book called The Gallup Poll.
Each year, the Gallup Organization's collected research continues to be pub-
lished under the same title.
George Gallup was a pioneer in the field of survey and public opinion re-
search. Gallup began conducting survey research while teaching journalism at
the University of Iowa, Drake University, and Northwestern University. He left
academe to become a full-time researcher for Young & Rubicam, a Manhattan
advertising agency. In 1935, Gallup joined with Harold A. Anderson to start the
American Institute for Public Opinion (AIPO). The AIPO started the syndicated
newspaper column based on public opinion research and conducted research for
various business and political organizations. In 1940, the column was renamed
'The Gallup Poll."
In 1938, Gallup founded Audience Research Incorporated (ARI) to conduct
research for media companies. In 1950, ARI became the Gallup Organization,
and by 1958, all of George Gallup's many research enterprises were consolidated
under that name. George Gallup died in 1984, but the Gallup Organization
continues as one of the world's most respected research and public opinion
polling organizations. Gallup was one of the most influential people in promot-
ing the use of survey research methods for political and business purposes.

SOURCES: George Gallup, ed., The Gallup Poll: Public Opinion 1935-1971, 1972;
Richard D. Smith, "Letting America Speak," Audacity, Winter 1997.
Stephen Lacy