Calvin Beale

Today's NY Times includes an obit for demographer Calvin Beale. Over the years, he and USDA colleagues have mapped and categorized counties in ways that are indispensible these days that the urban-suburban-exurban-rural continuum is not what it used to be. Central city vs. suburbs distinctions are stale -- but still invoked by many who should know better. Beale was among the first to suggest a better way. He proved his point via the hard work that he did and inspired.