Norman Ryder, 86, of Rocky Hill, New Jersey, died on June 30, 2010, after a fall at his home.

He was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and in 1948 immigrated to the United States, where he became a sociology professor and internationally recognized specialist in population research. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree at McMaster University in Hamilton, a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Toronto, and a PhD in Sociology at Princeton University (1951).

He was married to Helen Ryder (nee Barbour) for 63 beautiful years. They had two children, Anne Poulter (Bloomington, MN) and Paul Ryder (Madera, CA); four grandchildren (Peter Anderson, Nathan Anderson, Claire Ryder and David Ryder); and a great granddaughter (Abigail Anderson).

Throughout his life Norm spent much of his spare time in front of a piano keyboard, amazing friends and family with skill on jazz and swing tunes.

He worked for the Bureau of Statistics of Canada in Ottawa, Canada and for the Scripps Foundation in Miami, Ohio, before moving to Madison, Wisconsin, in 1956 where he was a member of the faculty for 15 years. While at Wisconsin he founded the Center for Demography and Ecology. The University of Wisconsin honored his contributions to the school when they created the Norman B. Ryder Chair of Sociology.
In 1971 he became a member of the faculty at Princeton University in the Office of Population Research and became Professor Emeritus (1989). He was a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Ryder was primarily known for his work on cohort analysis. His articles are among the top-cited in the field of demography. He co-authored numerous books including Reproduction in the United States (1971) and The Contraceptive Revolution (1977). He directed the National Fertility Studies in 1965, 1970 and 1975; was a consultant for the World Fertility Survey for 12 years; served as editor-in-chief of the American Sociological Review, was President of the Population Association of America and President of the Sociological Research Association. He also served on numerous committees for the American Sociological Association including the Council and Executive Committee.

He received an honorary degree from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Distinguished Alumni award from McMaster University and the Docteur Honoris Causa de L'Université de Montreal. And in 2000 he was named IUSSP (International Union for the Scientific Study of Population) Laureate.

His scholarship was a key component of the early days of demography and will always be regarded highly nationally and internationally. But most importantly he will be missed by family, friends and colleagues for his great sense of humor, his caring for others and for the way he always challenged us to break from the mold and think in new ways.

A Memorial Service will be held at Princeton University this fall. Contributions in Norman's memory can be made to the charity of the donor's choice.