It is with heavy hearts that we share news of the passing of Robert J. Walker.

Bob served as President of the Population Institute from 2009 to 2021. He was a valued colleague, mentor, and friend to Population Institute staff, interns, senior fellows, and board – and to many in the population and reproductive rights movement and beyond. He had the ability to reach people on both sides of the political aisle and find nuanced ways to build support for sexual and reproductive health and rights at home and abroad.

Prior to joining the Population Institute in 2009, Bob was President of the Population Resource Center. He formerly was the Executive Director of the Common Cause Education Fund, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to promote open, honest, and accountable government.

He also served for three years as President of Handgun Control and the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence and four years as legislative director at Handgun Control, where he spearheaded the lobbying campaigns that led to the successful passage of the Brady Law and the federal assault weapons ban. Prior to his work for Handgun Control, Bob worked for a total of fourteen years on Capitol Hill, including five years as a legislative aide to Rep. John B. Anderson and six years as Legislative Director to Rep. Mo Udall, the Chairman of the House Interior Committee. He also served for two years as Legislative Counsel for the American Association of Retired Persons.

Bob received his B.A. in Economics from Rockford College and his J.D. from the University of Illinois School of Law.  He attended the University of Sydney in Australia under a Rotary graduate fellowship and had a great fondness for Australia and the Italian coast.

At the Population Institute, we are profoundly grateful for Bob’s steadfast leadership, his vision, and his generosity of spirit in recognizing and supporting staff members’ skills, talents, and passions. He will be deeply missed.