Remembering Steve Buckles: A Lifelong Leader in Economic Education

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Steve Buckles, on Saturday, January 10, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee. Steve was a steadfast champion of education whose unwavering support, kindness, and generosity spanned decades. His warmth touched everyone fortunate enough to work alongside him.

Steve’s commitment to CEE ran deep. He began his service in the early 1970s, when CEE was still known as the Joint Council on Economic Education. He later served as President of the Missouri Council on Economic Education from 1986 to 1988 and then led CEE—at the time called the National Council on Economic Education—from 1989 to 1994. Over the years, Steve continued to lend his expertise as CEE’s Senior Economic Advisor, contributed to major content initiatives such as Teaching Financial Crises, and played a vital role in shaping the National Economics Challenge (NEC). As lead test writer and lead judge, he brought academic rigor to the competition, helping it grow into one of the nation’s most respected student events.

Steve’s legacy also extends across the broader field of economic education. He spent more than 25 years as an economics lecturer at Vanderbilt University and authored dozens of articles for prominent publications, such as the Journal of Economic Education (JEE), and the American Economic Review (AER).  He also served on the standing committee for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in economics. 

Steve will be profoundly missed. You can find an obituary for him here.

About the Council for Economic Education

The Council for Economic Education’s (CEE’s) mission is to equip K–12 students with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics so that they can make better decisions for themselves, their families and their communities. We carry out our mission in three ways. We advocate to require financial and economic education in every state. We provide training, tools and resources — online and live through over 180 affiliates nationwide — to more than 40,000 teachers annually, who in turn bring the highest quality economics and personal finance instruction to over 4 million students. We deepen knowledge and introduce high school students to critical career capabilities through our national competitions and Invest in Girls program. Learn more at CouncilForEconEd.org and on LinkedIn and on Facebook.

Media contact: 

CEE: press@councilforeconed.org