Kenneth Prewitt, former director of the U.S. Census Bureau and a distinguished academic, has passed away at the age of 90. George M. Cook, Performing the Duties of the Director, shared the news, mourning the loss of a leader known for his commitment to civic engagement.
Born in Alton, Illinois, in 1936, Dr. Prewitt held degrees from Southern Methodist University, Washington University in St. Louis, and a Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University. His extensive academic career included teaching at the University of Chicago from 1965 to 1983, as well as at Stanford, Columbia, Washington, and Makerere universities. He also served as senior vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation and director of the National Opinion Research Center.
President Bill Clinton appointed Dr. Prewitt as director of the Census Bureau in 1998. He spearheaded the 2000 Census, becoming the first director to initiate the decennial count in Alaska, collecting data from Unalakleet on January 20, 2000. Dr. Prewitt famously described the census as a "civic activity of the highest order" and a "cornerstone of democracy." He said, "The census is a moment in American political life, when the entire population simultaneously does something to show their loyalty, their responsibility, their obligation to the workings of our democracy."
Following his directorship in 2001, Dr. Prewitt continued to publish extensively, particularly on the census, and served as a professor and fellow at Columbia University. He returned to the Census Bureau in 2021 as a senior advisor. The Census Bureau expressed sorrow at his passing, extending condolences to his friends and family.