ICPSR Mourns the Passing of Katherine K. Wallman
ANN ARBOR–ICPSR joins the countless many remembering the life and work of Katherine K. Wallman, 80, who passed away on Jan. 17, 2024, after a brief illness.
Wallman served as Chief Statistician of the United States for 25 years, retiring at the end of 2016. She provided policy oversight, established priorities, advanced long-term improvements, and set standards for a federal statistical establishment that comprises more than 100 agencies spread across every cabinet department. Wallman represented the US government in international statistical organizations, including the United Nations and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. During her tenure, Wallman has increased collaboration among the agencies of the US statistical system, fostered improvements in the scope and quality of the nation's official statistics, strengthened protections for confidential statistical information, and initiated changes that have made the products of the system more accessible and usable.
In 2017, Wallman was elected to her first four-year term on the governing Council of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), part of the Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan. She served with dedication from 2018-2022. Wallman was in the middle of her second Council term, 2022-2026, at her passing. “We were incredibly lucky that she devoted some of her time after her retirement to ICPSR, as well as to other activities strengthening the federal statistical system and data literacy more broadly,” said ICPSR Director Margaret Levenstein. “We will – I will – miss her enormously.”
In a recent tribute, the Committee on National Statistics (CNSTAT), part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, noted Wallman’s trademark “boundless energy, her steadfast dedication, and her legendary skills in bringing people and agencies with different viewpoints together for the common good.”
“A consummate public servant, it is hard to overstate the extent to which she shaped the federal statistical system during her career. As chief statistician, her skill in bringing people and agencies together to work for our nation’s common good was famous,” said United States Census Bureau Director Robert L. Santos, in a Census Director's Blog post.
American Statistical Association (ASA) Executive Director Ron Wasserstein described Wallman as “a giant in our community and a good friend. She cared deeply about the ASA. We will miss her leadership and wisdom, and I will miss her friendship, her candor, and her delightfully offbeat sense of humor.” An In Memoriam from the ASA notes that Wallman’s “innumerable accomplishments as chief statistician touched poverty measurement, race and ethnicity standards, the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act, the Statistical Policy Directive No. 1, and effective US engagement in international statistical activities.”
Left to right, ICPSR staff members Susan Jekielek and Abay Israel chat with ICPSR Council members Katherine Wallman and Mark Hansen at an ICPSR Council reception in October 2018. (Photo by Anna Shelton)
Share a memory
Below are some remembrances of friends and colleagues throughout the community. To add a memory of Katherine Wallman, please use this form.
“During the [ICPSR] Council meetings, she was always so warm and kind. We learned in discussions that we had so many connections – she grew up in the same town as my mother, and then she had a brother who had lived in the same town as where I currently live. But really what I remember most about her was her friendliness and warmth (and of course, her intelligence). She was so warm – always telling me I was welcome to come visit her up north!”
Esther Wilder
Lehman College, City University of New York
Former ICPSR Council Member (2018-2022)
“So many ‘hidden’ but highly influential people have actively shaped what we are able to do in the social sciences and what our impact on American lives can be. Meeting Katherine Wallman, through her generous leadership on the ICPSR Council, shined a light on one of those people for me. Over the years, I probably hadn't given much thought as to who the Chief Statistician was. Had I been asked, I would have expected it was a "him" and someone that turned over frequently, with limited time to impact our Federal statistical system. I am delighted that I was so wrong. Beyond the profound impact Katherine had as Chief Statistician of the United States, I can attest that her acumen, insight, networks, and passion were abundant in her service to ICPSR and its membership. I am also grateful that Katherine Wallman's brilliance, generosity, and humanity now inspire my own work to improve public access to the evidence needed to better American lives – and it will for all my years to come. She is very missed.”
Amy Pienta
ICPSR faculty and sociologist
“Our work at ICPSR is all about sharing quality research data and quantitative methods training; Katherine owned this mission like no other. During one of her first ICPSR Council dinner meetings, I was lucky enough to sit across from her; I’m certain I was intimidated, but this mover of government mountains immediately united us with stories of her career, but also, of Maine and Virginia, and her love and pride of her family, daughter, and grandson. She was the real, authentic deal. We had a unique connection and amidst our committee duties, found time to talk a lot about data, business strategy, raising boys into fine young men, and family. These next board meetings will be difficult without her. She was 80, and it is true that, “only the good die young.”
Linda Detterman
ICPSR Membership & Communications Director and Katherine Wallman Fan
“I had the great pleasure and privilege of serving on ICPSR Council (2020-2024) with Katherine, including on the Membership, Acquisitions, and User Support Committee, which she chaired. Over the course of those four years Katherine and I had numerous Zoom room side chats and email exchanges that I will fondly remember. The very first one still brings a smile — during my first Council meeting, which was virtual, upon learning that I live in Western Canada, she immediately sent to me a direct message, telling a story from her childhood and a family trip taken driving through the Canadian Rocky Mountains. That trip had left a lasting impression on her. She then asked if those were mountains in the background behind me — I told her that that they were not, and that they were in fact snow covered roofs of neighbours' homes. We both got a good laugh!
That Katherine left an indelible mark during her time with us, both personally and professionally, is undeniable. Her passion for public service, career, and achievements speak for themselves — she was a giant in her field. However, for all that she achieved in her professional life, through my interactions with her I was keenly aware that she knew what was really most important in life — our health, family, friends, and the time that we have with them. My heart and sincere condolences goes out to everyone who knew and loved Katherine. She will be greatly missed by many.”
James Doiron (University of Alberta)
ICPSR Council Member (2020-2024)
Contact: Dory Knight-Ingram
Jan 31, 2024