By Anne Levin

Alan B. Krueger, the James Madison Professor of Political Economy at Princeton University and an economic aide to Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, was found dead on Saturday, March 16, at his home in Princeton. The cause was suicide, according to his family, in a statement released by the University.

The University community, politicians, and educators from across the nation expressed shock and sadness at the news. “Alan was recognized as a true leader in his field, known and admired for both his research and writing,” reads a statement from the University. Krueger was best known for his work in the early 1990s on the effects of minimum wage. A Livingston native, he was a labor economist by training who favored an emphasis on data rather than theory.

“Having known Alan for many years, this is a personal loss for me, as I know it is for so many others,” said Cecilia Rouse, dean of the Woodrow Wilson School and Lawrence and Shirley Katzman and Lewis and Anna Ernst Professor in the Economics of Education and professor of economics and public affairs. “Alan changed the field of economics with his innovative empirical approach to studying a wide range of topics from the minimum wage and education, to terrorism and ticket prices at rock concerts. He also was a diligent and dedicated public servant, a true embodiment of our School’s mission. This is an extremely sad loss for our community.”

The University’s statement recognized Krueger as having a commitment to public service. “His contributions to the nation included serving as President Clinton’s Chief Economist at the Department of Labor, and as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama.”

On Twitter, Clinton wrote, “Alan Krueger was a brilliant economist for the public interest—from his research proving that raising the minimum wage doesn’t increase unemployment, to his recent work showing that America’s opioid epidemic has increased it. My thoughts are with his family. We lost him too soon.”

Obama issued a statement on Monday, calling Krueger “someone who was deeper than numbers of a screen or charts on a page. He had a perpetual smile and a gentle spirit, even when he was correcting you.”

Information about a public celebration of Krueger’s life and legacy will be released at a future date. A statement from his family reads, “It is with tremendous sadness we share that Professor Alan B. Krueger, beloved husband, father, son, brother, and Princeton professor of economics took his own life over the weekend. The family requests the time and space to grieve and remember him. In lieu of flowers, we encourage those wishing to honor Alan to make a contribution to the charity of their choice.”