Sheila Bair to Receive 2026 Truman Medal for Economic Policy | June 17, 2026
The 2026 Truman Medal for Economic Policy will be awarded to former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Sheila Bair on October 15, 2026.
Established in 2005, the Truman Medal is awarded biennially to an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the nation’s economic policy. The award highlights Truman’s enduring impact on global economic governance and his creation of the Council of Economic Advisers, a nonpartisan group dedicated to informing presidential decision-making. Along with the Truman Library Institute, organizing partners include The Economic Club of Kansas City and UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of Management.
“Sheila Bair is a distinguished public servant whose leadership helped steady our financial system during the 2008 financial crisis,” said Dean Brian Klaas of the UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of Management. “Her wisdom, insight and courage while serving as chair of the FDIC from 2006 to 2011 helped our country navigate a tumultuous period.”
Throughout a distinguished career spanning government, higher education and the private sector, Bair has earned national and international recognition for her principled leadership and steadfast commitment to the public interest.
As chair of the FDIC from 2006 to 2011, Bair emerged as one of the most respected voices during the 2008 financial crisis. She championed accountability for financial institutions deemed “too big to fail” and consistently advocated for policies that protected taxpayers, consumers and community banks. Her leadership earned her the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s Profiles in Courage Award and Forbes twice ranked her among the world’s most powerful women.
“Sheila Bair is the ideal Truman Medal honoree,” said Amy Hawley Rose, president and Executive director of The Economic Club of Kansas City. “She successfully led the FDIC during the global financial crisis, the most devastating crisis since the Great Depression. She worked in the best interest of the country rather than the industry alone. She stood strong during the bailout of some of the largest banks insisting that they be responsible for paying back to the public for the bailouts. It’s no wonder observers dubbed her ‘the little guy’s protector in chief’.”
Following her tenure at the FDIC, Bair became the first woman to serve as president of Washington College and later the first woman to chair Fannie Mae. She has continued to shape public policy as founding chair of the Systemic Risk Council, a founding board member of the Volcker Alliance, and a trustee of Economists for Peace and Security. Bair also serves on numerous corporate and advisory boards.
A respected commentator on financial and economic policy, Bair is a frequent contributor to the Financial Times and other leading publications. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Bull by the Horns; Bullies of Wall Street; the Money Tales children’s book series on financial literacy; and How Not to Lose a Million Dollars for teens.
Truman Library Institute Executive Director Alex Burden praised the committee’s selection, saying, “President Truman believed that economic policy should be grounded in evidence, guided by principle and focused on improving the lives of everyday Americans. Sheila Bair’s career reflects those same values. Her leadership during one of the most consequential financial crises in modern history and her unwavering commitment to accountability and public service make her a fitting recipient of the Truman Medal for Economic Policy.”
Organized by the Truman Library Institute, The Economic Club of Kansas City and the University of Missouri–Kansas City’s Bloch School of Management, the Truman Medal for Economic Policy will be presented in a public program at the Truman Forum, Kansas City Public Library–Plaza Branch. Registration will open August 1. There is no cost to attend.
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