For 70 years, Central Surveys has been asking questions and making statistical sense out of those answers, with the end result showing what people believe to be good, bad or indifferent.  Considering the ups and downs of public opinion, that is no small feat.  But it is that ever-changing public mood that makes CSI possible.

Founded in 1937 by Charles Parker, Central Surveys is one of the oldest public opinion survey companies in the country - established during the same year as two other Iowans founded their survey companies: George Gallup and Elmer Roper.  In fact Mr. Parker once commented that if you want to get along in the polling business, the rule is you must be a native of Iowa and be bald-headed!

In the 1936 Presidential campaign, a Literary Digest poll predicted that Republican candidate Alf Landon would be the next President of the United States.  At the same time, George Gallup released a poll which indicated incumbent President Franklin Delano Roosevelt would serve a second term.

Naturally, the Republican parties did not concur with the Gallup results and hired freelancer Charles Parker to prove the Literary Digest poll right - that their candidate would win.

While Parker's employers were not pleased with the results, that study led to the birth the following year of one of Southwest Iowa's most unique business operations of its time, Central Surveys, Inc.

Central Surveys has monitored the public pulse through times of great strife and upheaval, during times of peace and prosperity.  Although maybe not as well known as the Gallups and Ropers, our unsung, behind-the-scents research has played major roles in political and business decisions in all 50 states, Canada and a number of overseas countries.
 

Present-day president Robert (Bob) Longman attributes CSI's longevity to the rapport we develop with our clients.

"There's a lot of trust involved in this business, so we need a relationship established with our clients.  There needs to be a clear understanding of the needs of the client, what they are striving to find out.  There is a lot of give and take.  Plus, we are basically tight-lipped regarding our clients, or  particularly  the  contents  and

Because of that working relationship, CSI does considerable repeat business - many being with us for 40 or 50 years.  "It is unusual to have a client hire Central Surveys just once."

"This is definitely a people-to-people business.  We have no large turnover in interviewers.  The whole key is our highly skilled, courteous interviewers who respect the respondent's right to say "no" and who are sensitive to the people on the other end of the line.  They are very, very good at getting people to talk on the phone."

"We care for and respect our clients and employees.  I don't want to predict what the next 10 to 15 years have in store, but there will be changes and we will roll with them and adapt."
 

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My, how times (and technology) have changed!  Here is a 1955 photo of a tabulating machine used to compile surveys results.
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