NORC at the University of Chicago mourns the passing of John Thompson, who served as NORC’s president from 2008 until 2013, when he left NORC to become director of the U.S. Census Bureau. Thompson’s career spanned decades of public service, and he brought invaluable expertise, guidance, and insight to NORC.

Thompson joined NORC in 2002 as the executive vice president for survey operations and was appointed president and CEO in 2008. Under Thompson’s leadership, NORC carried out new initiatives to improve and advance federal statistics, realized nearly 50 percent growth in revenue, and delivered major research projects, including the National Immunization Surveys (NIS), on which Thompson served as the project director from 2004 to 2006, at the time the largest telephone social science survey in the nation.

“It would be hard to overstate John’s influence on NORC and its people,” said Dan Gaylin, president and CEO of NORC. “After a period of rapid growth and dynamic change in the early part of the century, NORC was in a position to re-establish itself as one of the leading research organizations in the world. John’s confident, empowering, values-driven leadership enabled the people of NORC to see that future and make it a reality. He will be deeply missed.”

As NORC’s president, Thompson’s major contributions included deepening NORC’s partnerships with the federal statistical system, improving all aspects of NORC’s operations, and developing and nurturing talent throughout the organization. Thompson also played an integral role in expanding NORC’s impact outside of the research industry.

Upon leaving NORC to serve as the U.S. Census Bureau director, Thompson said, “My experiences at NORC will serve me well in directing the Census Bureau at a time in which both federal and private sector organizations are facing new challenges in collecting and disseminating high-quality information.”

Before working at NORC, Thompson spent 27 years at the Census Bureau, serving in a variety of divisions before becoming chief of the Decennial Management Division and then associate director. As an associate director and senior career executive, he was responsible for all aspects of the 2000 Decennial Census.

Thompson served as director until 2017, overseeing preparations for the 2020 Census and presiding over more than 100 other censuses and surveys. Under his leadership, the Census Bureau received the Department of Commerce’s Organizational Gold Medal for Leadership in recognition of its innovative solutions and enterprise-wide management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thompson earned both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in mathematics from Virginia Tech University. He was a fellow of the American Statistical Association and a member of the Committee on National Statistics at the National Academy of Sciences.

We extend our deepest condolences to John’s family, friends, and communities. His passion for statistical research and his contributions to NORC will always be remembered and celebrated.