The U.S. Census Bureau has always highlighted American diversity 

through its decennial snapshots of the population. As the United 

States grew and the population became more diverse, the Census 

Bureau’s workforce adapted to represent the country’s people and 

needs. As immigration from non-European countries increased in 

the 19th century, the Census Bureau tried to hire enumerators that 

lived in the neighborhoods and spoke the language. Others 

became a part of the operations in Washington, DC. From the first 

surges of Chinese immigration into California in the 19th century, 

immigrants of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage have long 

contributed to the Census Bureau’s mission, both at headquarters 

and in the field.

Iwao Milton Moriyama was born on January 26, 1909, in San 

Francisco, CA, to Saburo and Reki Moriyama. His father, Saburo, 

had originally come to America to study photography and later 

established his own studio in 

the 1910s. Iwao graduated 

from San Francisco’s 

Polytechnic High School in 1926 and went on to attend the 

University of California at Berkeley. After receiving his 

bachelor of science degree in 1931, Iwao traveled to the 

east coast to attend Yale, where he earned his master’s

degree in 1934 and a doctorate in 1937, both in public 

health. Following his graduation, Iwao worked for the 

American Public Health Association as a technical secretary.

In 1940, Iwao moved to Washington, DC, to help improve 

the lives of people across the world by working in the 

federal government. As a public servant, he began an 

impressive career that would last over 30 years. Iwao, first,

worked as a biometrician in the Vital Statistics Division at 

the Census Bureau. Since the 1850 Census, the Census 

Bureau had collected vital statistics on marriages, births, 

and deaths and had helped standardize the collection of 

these statistics across the entire country. With the creation 

of a permanent census office in 1902, rising urbanization 

and its associated diseases, and the outbreak of World War 

I, the collection of vital statistics became one of the Census 

Bureau’s most important surveys beyond the decennial 

mandate.

Moriyama Family, 1920 Census

The Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL) 

28 December 1950.

 Improving Life with the U.S. Census

The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, HI) 

3 October 1952.
In 1935, the Census Bureau began ramping up its

Division of Vital Statistics, not just to run 

registration campaigns at the state level, but to 

focus on new and important research in the area 

of vital statistics. Iwao’s arrival at the Census 

Bureau in 1940 also coincided with the outbreak 

of World War II in Europe, which the United States 

would soon enter. In order to support this 

preparation, the Division of Vital Statistics focused

on providing age and manpower information, not 

just to the government, but to individuals trying to 

gain employment under new wartime measures. 

As vital statisticians estimated that 55 million 

Americans had no birth certificate on file in 1940, 

a person’s entry in the census was often the only way to approximate their age.*

Iwao adapted to his new job with enthusiasm and did his part to ensure proper statistics regarding

available draftees and potential workforce. He would later say, “The most essential commodity for 

the prosecution of the war was people—people to fight the war, people to produce war material, 

and the people to whom critical material had to be diverted for the production of essential civilian 

goods. Thus, it was important to have current knowledge, and in many cases a future picture, of 

the population, its composition and distribution, as well as the forces affecting it.”

Within five years, Iwao received a 

promotion from biometrician, to senior 

statistician, and finally to the chief of the 

Planning and Analysis Section of the Vital 

Statistics Division. However, in 1943, the 

Budget Bureau recommended to separate 

the Division of Vital Statistics from the 

Census Bureau. In 1946, the new National 

Office of Vital Statistics (NOVS) formed

within the United States Public Health Service. In his role as a vital statistician, Iwao followed the 

office out of the Census Bureau and became chief of the Mortality Analysis Office at NOVS. He

continued working for the Public Health Service until 1975, serving in roles such as director of the 

Office of Health Statistical Analysis and associate director of International Statistics.

In 1961, Iwao became a fellow of the American Statistical Society. Throughout the 1960s and 

1970s, he also worked with the Atomic Bomb Casualty 

Commission, where he served as chief of the Epidemiology and 

Statistics. After retiring in 1975, Iwao continued to be active with 

national and international vital statistics organizations and 

Japanese nuclear-bomb survivors. He was also a member of the 

Cosmos Club, the Delta Omega public health honor society, and 

the Sigma Xi science honor society. His professional associations

included the Population Association of America, the American 

Association for the Advancement of Science, the American 

Statistical Association, and the American Public Health 

Association. 

Iwao passed away in Mitchellville, MD, on June 10, 2006, at the 

age of 97. His wife of 60 years, Toshiko, and one of their two 

sons survived him. Iwao Moriyama’s dedication to vital statistics 

helped to ensure the health of not just the United States, but all 

of the countries and people he worked with throughout his career.

*For more information, see “Mary C. Ourlser” at <https://go.usa.gov/xXCsB>.

Moriyama and scientists connected with the Atomic 

Bomb Casualty Commission in Tokyo, 1965. From the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (and the University of Texas).

Moriyama’s 1940 Census, working in 

Washington, DC.

The Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, HI) 

3 October 1952.

HB-17-0012