Christopher Sims, the John J. F. Sherrerd ’52 University Professor of Economics, Emeritus at Princeton University and a Nobel Prize-winning economist, died on March 14. He was 83.
Sims was recognized for his pioneering work in macroeconomics that changed how central banks and policymakers understand economic cause and effect. His research has had a lasting impact on both academic economics and real-world policy decisions.
Sims joined the Princeton faculty in 1999 after positions at Harvard University, the University of Minnesota, and Yale University. In 2011, he shared the Nobel Prize in economics with Thomas Sargent for their “empirical research on cause and effect in the macroeconomy.” President Christopher L. Eisgruber said, “Christopher Sims was a pioneer of macroeconomics and his scholarship helped revolutionize both his field and real-world policymaking. He was also a devoted professor and generous adviser, famously teaching an undergraduate precept at Princeton just hours after winning the Nobel Prize.”
Sims developed the structural vector autoregression (SVAR) framework, which became an essential tool for economists to analyze relationships among economic variables over time. Alan Blinder described him as “an absolute superstar,” while Markus Brunnermeier called him “a giant of macroeconomics” who combined data with theory through a nontraditional approach rooted in statistics.
Colleagues highlighted Sims’ dedication to mentorship. Wolfgang Pesendorfer said he was “a wonderful colleague and an exceptionally dedicated adviser and mentor to his students.” Karthik Sastry described him as “the definition of kind and graceful mentorship,” noting that working closely with Sims as an undergraduate was a unique experience.
Throughout his career, Sims held leadership roles in major economic societies, served as a resident scholar at several Federal Reserve Banks, contributed to academic journals, and received numerous honors including an honorary degree from the University of Minnesota. He is survived by his wife Cathie Sears Sims; children Jody Nelson, Nancy Sims, Benjamin Sims; daughter-in-law Katherine Prestridge; four grandchildren; sister Jennifer Sims; brother William Sims; and is predeceased by sister Jody Sims Lawrence.
