Steve Buckles, senior lecturer of economics, retired, has died
Steve Buckles, senior lecturer of economics, retired, died on January 10, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 82.
Born on June 11, 1943, in Kansas City, Missouri, Buckles received a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College in 1965. Afterwards, he enrolled in the economics Ph.D. program at Vanderbilt. During this time, Buckles met his late wife of 54 years, Mary Parker Harmon, and they married in 1970. That same year, Buckles received an opportunity to work at the Council for Economic Education (CEE) in New York, where he worked as a staff economist for five years before returning to Vanderbilt and completing his Ph.D. in 1976.
Buckles went on to hold various positions at the University of Missouri, Columbia, before returning to Vanderbilt in 1994 as an economics faculty member. Buckles taught large introductory economics courses, as well as small senior seminars in micro- and macroeconomics, before he retired as a senior lecturer of economics in 2023.
For Buckles, economics was a way to understand what was going on in the world and how to make the world a better place. Over the course of his 30 years at Vanderbilt, he impacted the lives of countless students and community members.
“Steve Buckles was an extraordinary teacher and colleague who was loved by students, staff, and faculty alike,” said Kamal Saggi, chair of the Department of Economics. “In many ways, Steve represented the best of our noble profession. In addition to his deep knowledge of economics, Steve’s warmth and humor were extraordinary, as was his generosity. Generations of Vanderbilt students benefitted tremendously from his professional expertise and personal kindness. And they loved him deeply in return for it. His passing is a moment of great sadness for us all but is also a chance to celebrate his amazing achievements, as well as his enduring contributions to Vanderbilt and the discipline of economics. Faculty such as Steve have played a central role in making Vanderbilt the outstanding institution that it is today.”
Over the course of his career, Buckles wrote numerous journal articles around economics education. He served as the president of CEE for five years, served as the president of the National Association of Economic Educators, and was involved in the creation for the National Content Standards in Economics and the National Content Standards in Financial Literacy.
Buckles won the Kenneth G. Elzinga Distinguished Teaching Award (Southern Economic Association, 2006), the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (Vanderbilt, 2007), and the Madison Sarratt Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (Vanderbilt, 2008).
He was a steadfast supporter of Vanderbilt University and demonstrated his lasting dedication to the Department of Economics through a planned gift that will benefit students and faculty for years to come.
“Steve Buckles was an imaginative, engaging, dedicated teacher of economics,” said Malcolm Getz, professor of economics, emeritus. “With nearly 30 years teaching the large introductory courses, he may have taught more students than any other faculty member in Vanderbilt’s history. Vanderbilt awarded him several prizes in teaching. Many alumni viewed Steve as their most memorable faculty member. His reputation among alumni attracted students to Vanderbilt. He was an international leader among teachers of economics at all levels.”
Board of Trust member and Buckles’s former student Conner Searcy, BA’96, said, “Professor Buckles was not only a standout professor for dozens of students, but he changed my life. He gave me the confidence to have conviction in my talents and follow my dreams. I am forever grateful.”
Buckles and his wife split their time between Nashville and Darien, Connecticut. An avid sailor, Buckles spent his time exploring the Long Island Sound on a small sailboat, enjoying the local nature.
Buckles is survived by his brother Michael (Brenda), as well as numerous friends in Nashville and Darien. A memorial service will be held this summer in Darien. Memorial gifts may be made to Grinnell College, Friends of Green Hills Park (Nashville), or to Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Darien.