• BY SONNY LONG - SLONG@VICAD.COM
• Originally published January 10, 2010 at 11:06 p.m., updated January 11, 2010 at 11:21 a.m.

• SOME TALL MALE CELEBRITIES

  Michael Crichton 6'10"

  Brad Garrett 6'8'

  Tony Robbins 6'7"

  Howard Stern 6'5"

  Clint Eastwood 6'4"

  SOURCE: www.sixwise.com and www.allexperts.com

  WHAT IS AVERAGE?

  The average American man stands about 5 feet, 9 inches tall. ...

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SOME TALL MALE CELEBRITIES

Michael Crichton 6'10"

Brad Garrett 6'8'

Tony Robbins 6'7"

Howard Stern 6'5"

Clint Eastwood 6'4"

SOURCE: www.sixwise.com and www.allexperts.com

WHAT IS AVERAGE?

The average American man stands about 5 feet, 9 inches tall. The average woman, 5 feet, 4 inches.

Being above average in height has proven to be an advantage in many aspects of life, including business and relationships.

Research indicates some truth to that hypothesis, but anecdotal evidence might suggest otherwise.

"Economist John Kenneth Galbraith - who towered at 6-8 - described the favored treatment we afford taller people as 'one of the most blatant and forgiven prejudices in our society.' If you don't believe it, consider whether you yourself would like to be taller and, if so, try putting your finger on the reason why," said Isaac B. Rosenberg of the William & Mary Law School said in the Utah Law Review in February.

- Sonny Long

SOME TALL FEMALE CELEBRITIES

Isis 6'6"

Laurie Dhue 6'3"

Judy Gold 6'3"

Julia Child 6'2"

Janet Reno 6'1"

Jordin Sparks 6'0"

SOURCE: www.tallwomen.org

Don Truman says he is 5 feet, 17 inches tall.

Some people would call it 6 feet, 5 inches, but the owner of Truman Transfer and Storage in Victoria never gives it much thought.

"When you live it, you don't realize it," said the 58-year-old who runs the family business that's been in operation since 1912.

Similarly, DeWitt County Judge Ben Prause, at 6 feet, 4 inches tall, has never perceived an advantage to being tall.

Prause's career has included work in the newspaper business, as well as serving as the mayor of Cuero and county judge for more than two decades.

"I've never really considered it," Prause said. "It never really entered my mind that it was an advantage or disadvantage."

Prause and Truman might not think about it much, but researchers have.

Professor Timothy Judge of the University of Florida, in a joint study of consumer perceptions and height bias, said that being tall has been an advantage throughout human history.

"Leadership qualities were ascribed to taller people because they were believed to be more capable of protecting the tribe," Judge said.

Truman said that although he doesn't think about his own height, he sees it in others.

"When you interact with other tall people and see how they relate, I notice a lot of them stand out," Truman said.

It's not only perception.

A 2004 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology suggested that taller people tend to be more successful on the job.

Even in jobs like accounting or legal services, where height cannot be considered an essential ability or occupational qualification, there is an implicit bias toward taller people in terms of promotions and salaries, according to the study.

The study also found that in other jobs like sales and management, taller people tend to have a higher level of performance and hence earning ability, because customers view them more positively.

While the majority of research has been done doesn't distinguish between men and women, many of the same generalities apply.

Christine Cosgrove, a medical journalist and co-author of "Normal at Any Cost: Tall Girls, Short Boys, and the Medical Industry's Quest to Manipulate Height," wrote, "In the 1970s, the passage of Title IX, which encouraged more girls to play sports, meant pushing 6 feet or more could be an advantage on a volleyball or basketball court. At the same time, as discriminatory hiring practices were discarded, women's career options increased; they could become police officers, astronauts, or CEOs - as well as wives and mothers."

For the purposes of the 2004 University of Florida study, the average height of a man was designated as 5 foot, 9 inches and for women it was 5 foot, 3 inches.

The study concluded that taller workers could earn up to $789 more per year.

"If you take this over the course of a 30-year career and compound it, we're talking about literally hundreds of thousands of dollars of earnings advantage that a tall person enjoys," Judge said.

Related story: Con: Short people stand tall despite stature

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