It is with sadness that I share the news of the passing of Charles Louis Kincannon, our former director. As we mourn the loss of Louis, we share the knowledge that while Louis often spoke softly, his career and life were tributes to values such as dedication, honor, and friendship.

Louis believed in public service and began his career as a statistician at the U.S. Census Bureau in 1963, and held positions of increasing responsibility in the economic, demographic, and administrative areas. In 1974, he became chief of the program review staff in the Commerce Department’s Social and Economic Statistics Administration.

In September 1975, during the Ford administration, he joined the staff of the Office of Management and Budget and served as the statistical liaison to Vice President Nelson Rockefeller’s office.  Louis returned to the Census Bureau and was appointed deputy director and chief operating officer in January 1982. He continued in the post until September 1992. Louis was then appointed as the first chief statistician in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, where he served until June 2000.

President George W. Bush nominated Louis for director of the Census Bureau in November 2001, and the Senate confirmed him unanimously on March 13, 2002. He served as our director until the end of 2007.

Throughout his career, Louis received many honors, such as the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive and the Department of Commerce Gold Medal, and he shared his experience and wisdom with many. Even in retirement, Louis continued in public service, as he was a member of his neighborhood board and continued to share the importance and utility of Census Bureau programs, such as the American Community Survey, with many audiences.

We will mourn the loss of this faithful friend to the Census Bureau and share our sorrow at his passing with his family, including his wife, Claire, and his daughters, Indya and Alexandra, and the five grandchildren. The family would like you to share your thoughts and memories about Louis, and we encourage you to do so in the comments below.

Please find below details about the memorial service:

Memorial Service for Louis Kincannon

11:30 a.m.

Monday, January 7th, 2013

Christ Church of Capitol Hill

620 G Street, SE

Washington, DC 20003

Acting Director, Tom Mesenbourg