The Russell Sage Foundation mourns the passing of renowned sociologist Christopher Jencks on February 8, 2025, at the age of 88. His research focused on the root causes of inequality and how to promote economic mobility. His work shaped opinion on issues such as homelessness, income inequality, and racial disparities in educational attainment.
Christopher Jencks was the Malcolm Wiener Professor of Social Policy, Emeritus at the Harvard Kennedy School. He previously held positions at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to entering academia, Jencks was an associate editor at The New Republic and an analyst at the Institute for Policy Studies. Jencks received his A.B. in English Literature (1958) from Harvard College and his M.Ed. in human development (1959) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Jencks was awarded the Borden Prize for Best Book on Higher Education from the American Council of Education with his co-author David Riesman for their book The Academic Revolution, the 1974 Best Book in Sociology Award from the American Sociological Association with seven co-authors for their book Inequality: A Reassessment of the Effects of Family and Schooling in America, the Harry Chapin Media Award for his articles on homelessness, and the 1994 Best Book in Sociology and Anthropology Award from the Association of American Publishers for his book The Homeless. In 1992, Jencks received the American Sociological Association’s Willard Waller Award for lifetime achievement, which recognized his contributions to the sociology of education. In 1997, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and in 2004, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.
Jencks was an RSF Margaret Olivia Sage Scholar in 2019, 2018, and 2017, an RSF visiting scholar in the 1991-1992 academic year, a contributing author to RSF volumes The Future of Family, Social Inequality, and Leading Edges in Social and Behavioral Science, and the recipient of multiple RSF research grants.
Jencks is survived by his wife, Dr. Jane Mansbridge, his son, Nat, his grandson, and his brother, Stephen. The foundation extends its deepest sympathies to Jencks’ family and friends for their loss.
Read the New York Times obituary.
Read the obituary from the Harvard Kennedy School.