Statement on the Death of James S. Crown

When Jim and Paula Crown joined us at the White House last week for a State Dinner, Jim was as he always was: thoughtful, warm, a good man. It was heartbreaking to learn today of his shocking death.

Jim lived a great Chicago story, one that tied our Nation's industrious past to an ever-hopeful future. He grew up the great-grandson of a sweatshop worker whose son turned a construction-supply company into an empire. Throughout his own career as a business and civic leader, Jim continued to drive that legacy forward, bring out the best in his peers, and help shape the city he loved.

His commitment to Chicago was bone deep; many flagship institutions benefitted from his generosity, from the University of Chicago to the Museum of Science and Industry. More recently, Jim was on the cusp of a new initiative, rallying fellow corporate leaders to commit to hiring people from communities that have been left behind and to be part of the solution to end gun violence.

Jim represented America at its best: industrious, big-hearted, and always looking out for each other. He was a good man, a dear friend, and a great American.

Jill and I send our love to his wife Paula; their four children and two grandchildren; as well as to Jim's parents Renee and Lester, and his six brothers and sisters.