AIER Appoints Dr. Samuel Gregg as President

By: American Institute for Economic Research via Business Wire

April 16, 2026 at 09:00 AM EDT

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Scholar, author, and Friedrich Hayek Chair named to lead AIER in its 93rd year.

The Board of Trustees of the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER), one of the oldest and most respected nonpartisan economic research and educational organizations in the United States dedicated to promoting classical liberal and free market ideas, has appointed Dr. Samuel Gregg as its new President.

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Dr. Samuel Gregg, President of The American Institute for Economic Research (Credit: AIER).

Gregg served as interim president after the previous incumbent, Dr. William Ruger, accepted the position of Deputy Director of National Intelligence in April 2025.

Terry Anker, Chair of AIER’s Board of Trustees, remarked, “We are delighted that Dr. Gregg has accepted the board’s invitation to serve as AIER’s next president. Since 2018, AIER has undergone a period of remarkable growth and expansion, much of which was led and driven by Will Ruger. He left an indelible mark upon the institute and its core mission of educating the general public, students, and policy makers on the value of free market principles and the ways in which they promote prosperity and a free society. I and the Board of Trustees believe that Samuel Gregg will bring a unique and proven combination of executive skills and scholarly achievement to AIER’s presidency as he leads AIER in its advancement of sound economic thinking in the marketplace of ideas.”

“I’m honored by the trust that the Board of Trustees has placed in me to lead AIER at a time when principles of economic liberty, the rule of law, and other classical liberal commitments are under severe pressure,” said Dr. Gregg. “I’m committed to advancing these ideas to AIER’s target audiences throughout the United States and equipping our superb team with everything that they need to achieve this goal.”

Dr. Gregg added: “These are very challenging times for those who believe in free markets, limited government, and the free society. 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 to those everyday Americans whom AIER’s founder, Colonel Harwood, was especially committed to reaching.”

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