Thomas Shahan Ulen

Tom Ulen, a longtime law professor at the University of Illinois, died on 13 September in Falls Church, Virginia. He was 79.

Thomas Shahan Ulen was born on 4 November 1946 in Lebanon, Indiana, and raised in Indianapolis, where he attended Shortridge High School. He rowed at Dartmouth and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1968. After college, he joined the Peace Corps in South Korea, earned a degree from Oxford, and a PhD in economics from Stanford. He married Julia Bloomer in 1974 and they moved to Illinois in 1977.

Ulen taught at Illinois for more than three decades, mostly at the College of Law. He never went to law school but used his economic training to develop and expand a field called “law and economics,” which provides a framework for evaluating how people respond to changes in the law and the extent to which laws advance policy goals. He coauthored one of the field’s leading texts, taught courses at schools around the world, and was instrumental in making law and economics widely studied. In 2003, the University named him a Swanlund Chair, its highest endowed title, created to recognize faculty for outstanding contributions to their fields.

Ulen played key roles in university and in community affairs. He led University searches for a new Chancellor and law school dean, chaired the University’s Athletic Board, and sat on the board of the Illinois Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children. A member of First Presbyterian Church in Champaign, he was a care deacon and on pastor-nominating committees; he joined Vienna Presbyterian Church after moving to Vienna, Virginia, in 2025 to be near family. He was passionate about growing the Champaign Public Library and was on its board for years. He was a member of the Champaign-Urbana Sunrise Rotary Club.

He had an array of hobbies and interests, among them word games, his book club, and siamese cats. He was always on the hunt for a smoother pen and could not resist advances in shave technology. He became a barbecue devotee in the 1970s after a near-religious experience at Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City, where he returned often with his father and later his family for “barbecue pilgrimages.” He inherited his mother’s love of crosswords and participated in leagues and tournaments with his son and sisters. His favorite movie was “The Wrong Box.”

Curious and optimistic, Ulen believed self-education, dialogue, and kindness would make life better. He spoke credibly about the latest research on two rare heart diseases that led to his demise–and donated his heart to research so others would benefit. He mentored generations of students and colleagues, and he extended a helping hand—without judgment—to colleagues, church members, family, and friends in need. Colleagues described him as a brilliant man who showed little interest in himself and excelled at being a friend. His curiosity did not extend to household chores.

He was a loving and generous family man, reveling as his family grew and shining as a grandpa. He is survived by his wife Julia, sons Theodore and Timothy, sisters Elizabeth Ulen and Sarah Henderson, daughters-in-law Christina and Nicole, and grandchildren Sophia, Madeline, Lincoln, and Hudson, all of whom loved him dearly.

Information about memorial services and donations is below. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery in Lebanon, Indiana.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Thomas S. Ulen to the ARVC Program at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where Tom received treatment, at https://secure.jhu.edu/form/heart or to the Champaign Public Library at https://champaign.org.

veling as his family grew and shining as a grandpa. He is survived by his wife Julia, sons Theodore and Timothy, sisters Elizabeth Ulen and Sarah Henderson, daughters-in-law Christina and Nicole, and grandchildren Sophia, Madeline, Lincoln, and Hudson, all of whom loved him dearly.

Memorial services will be held in the coming weeks. Please refer to moneyandking.com for more information. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery in Lebanon, Indiana.