Great Barrington, Massachusetts, April 17, 2025 — The American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), one of the oldest and most respected nonpartisan economic research and education organizations in the United States dedicated to promoting the ideas of individual freedom, free markets, sound money, and limited government, today congratulates its President, Dr. William Ruger, on his appointment as Deputy Director of National Intelligence. After consultation, AIER’s Board of Trustees has accepted his request for a leave of absence from AIER for one year, renewable, to serve our nation in this important role.

It is with great pleasure that the Board of Trustees announces that AIER’s Friedrich Hayek Chair of Economics and Economic History, Dr. Samuel Gregg, has accepted the Board’s invitation to serve as President of AIER during this interim period. 

Katy Delay, Chair of AIER’s Board of Trustees, remarked, “We are delighted that Dr. Gregg will seamlessly carry on the thoughtful work of the Institute in educating the general public, students, and policy makers on the value of personal freedom, free enterprise, property rights, limited government, and sound money.”

“I’m deeply honored by the trust that the Board of Trustees has placed in me to lead AIER during Will Ruger’s absence,” said Dr. Gregg. “Dr. Ruger has done outstanding work in shaping AIER’s direction, and I intend to continue down the path he and the Board have laid out for AIER’s future.”

AIER, which was founded in 1933 by economist and financial advisor Colonel Edward C. Harwood, is dedicated to promoting the ideas of individual freedom, free markets, sound money, and limited government.

“These are very challenging times for those who believe in free markets, limited government, and the free society,” said Dr. Gregg. “But I am confident that AIER will continue to take a leading role in making the case for economic liberty to its target audiences, and first and foremost those everyday Americans whom AIER’s founder, Colonel Harwood, was especially committed to reaching.” 

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