On July 13, the field of economic education lost one of its leading teachers, Dr. Mark C. Schug. I had the privilege of knowing Mark for many years and the privilege of working together Essays on Social Economics and American Government with him. This tribute aims to preserve the history of his remarkable work and lasting legacy in economic education.
For more than fifty years, Mark C. Schug has devoted his career to helping educators, students, and the general public understand and apply economic reasoning. In his tenure as Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he helped shape economics education through his work as a classroom teacher, university professor, researcher, curriculum developer, writer, editor and consultant. Throughout his distinguished career, Schug authored or edited more than 280 books, articles, chapters, and national curriculum materials (approximately 31 of which were co-authored/co-authored books and monographs, and approximately 131 of which were co-authored/co-authored journal articles), embodying strong scholarship and a scholarly commitment to the advancement of economics education.
After earning bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees from the University of Minnesota, Schug began his career as a social studies teacher before joining the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1980. There he taught for 27 years, became a full professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, and served as Director of the Ecovenomic Decade Institute. His research, particularly on how children develop economic thinking, helped advance the field of economic education, while his teaching prepared generations of teachers to integrate economics into history, society, government, and everyday decision making.
Schug’s influence extended beyond the university classroom. He has written or co-authored more than 30 books and monographs, contributed to many nationally recognized curriculum projects, and organized. Senior Economist ten years, and guest co-edited multi-themed stories of Social Educationthe flagship journal of the National Council for the Social Studies. Among his most famous books were Economics: Options and Challenges, Economic Episodes in American History, Teachers Can Know Financial Eligibilityagain Essays on Social Economics and American Government. Through these books, as well as workshops and presentations throughout the United States and abroad, he has helped make economics engaging, practical, and meaningful for teachers and students alike.
Schug has also made a long-term commitment to professional leadership and service. He was the founding President of the Business and Economics Academy of Milwaukee (BEAM), a private PreK-8 school that opened in 2001 and integrates business and economics throughout the curriculum. He served as the founding president of BEAM for nearly seven years, and continued his leadership role as secretary of the long-time school board. While directing the Center for Economic Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center, Mark launched the Youth Enterprise Academy, a program he founded that gave Milwaukee public school students the opportunity to earn, invest, and save for higher education. He has served on the boards of many educational and community organizations, including BEAM, School Choice Wisconsin, Economics Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies, the University School of Milwaukee, and the Association of Private Enterprise Education. As President of the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies and in these other leadership roles, he promoted teacher development and fostered collaboration among teachers.
Schug has supported school choice and other reforms designed to strengthen educational opportunities. Milwaukee’s school voucher program of the 1990s was the nation’s first school voucher program and the first model for school choice reforms nationwide, and there is evidence that increased competition from vouchers has encouraged public schools to improve as well.
Mark spent 37 years teaching in middle school, high school, and university before retiring. Even after retiring from the university and being honored with the rank of Professor Emeritus, Schug remained active in writing, consulting, and professional development through Mark Schug Consulting Services and the Office of Free Business Education Development (OAFEE). During the latter part of his career, Schug developed a close professional relationship with the economist M. Scott Niederjohn, working together to expand economics education through collaborative programs, publications, and teacher outreach. Together they led OAFEE workshops Heroic Economics, Economics for Opinion Leadersagain Teaching Economics in American History plans. They also developed and led workshops for the Fraser Institute Economics for Journalists Canadian Journalists’ Program.
After moving to Port St. Lucie, Florida, Schug founded the Del Webb Tradition Econ Club, which grew to more than 100 members and regularly hosted distinguished guest speakers, and served in several leadership roles on the Church Council of the Lutheran Church of St. Andrew, including the president and vice president. His many contributions have been recognized with many prestigious awards in leadership, research, curriculum development, and service to the field. Those who knew Mark remember not only his remarkable scholarship, but also his genuine kindness, quiet humility, generosity to his colleagues, and sincere desire to inspire other teachers.
Mark Schug’s legacy extends beyond his impressive record of publication, research, and professional service. He devoted his career to making economics understandable and relevant to teachers, students, and the wider community, and helped shape the teaching of economics in classrooms across the United States. His work has influenced fellow researchers, enriched teacher preparation, and inspired generations of teachers to help their students think critically about the choices people and communities face. His lasting legacy resides not only in the books he wrote and the curriculum he developed, but also in the countless teachers and students whose lives were enriched by his lifelong dedication to economic education.
Mark C. Schug: December 23, 1947 – July 13, 2026
