James L. Blum

03/07/1936 - 10/07/2025

James "Jim" Louis Blum died on October 7, 2025 at Inova Alexandria Hospital in Virginia at the age of 89 after a bout of pneumonia.
Born on March 7, 1936 in Elgin, Illinois, Jim had a typical small-town upbringing, serving in the Boy Scouts and working afternoons and weekends at his family's restaurant and ice cream parlor. Scooping hard ice cream was not his preferred pastime, however, so he immersed himself in his school work and extracurriculars at Elgin High School. At the University of Michigan, he discovered a talent for economics and went on to receive bachelor's and master's degrees in the subject, as well as completing coursework for the PhD.
Fresh out of school, Jim began a lifelong career of public service. From 1962 to 1965, he worked for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in Paris and Athens. He then worked for the government of Zambia's Office of National Development and Planning through U.S. AID. Upon returning to the States, Jim worked at the Bureau of the Budget (now known as the Office of Management and Budget) during the Johnson and Nixon administrations.
In 1975 Jim became a founding member of the Congressional Budget Office, where he served as Assistant Director for Budget Analysis until 1991. He was the acting director of CBO from December 1987 to March 1989, while Congressional deliberation delayed the appointment of a new director. From 1991 through his retirement in 1999, Jim served as the Deputy Director of CBO.
Jim was a member of numerous professional organizations and often hosted foreign government counterparts from around the world. He loved being a public servant, but he was also humble. His own children did not know until after his death that the American Association for Budget and Program Analysis bestows a James L. Blum Award for Distinguished Service in Budgeting. In AABPA's words, the award is given to "individuals who have distinguished records of accomplishment in public budgeting, are respected leaders in the budgetary community, have significantly advanced the state of knowledge in the field, and by personal example, have set exceptionally high standards of achievement, professionalism, and ethics for all public servants."
Jim's dedication to his career in the government was such that it was hard to imagine him retiring. But he took to retirement with gusto, focusing his economist's eye on cataloguing impressive collections of classical music and opera CDs, wine, books, and detailed itineraries for trips to Europe. Jim loved baseball and became an avid fan first of the Orioles and later the Nationals. Also a hiker, he racked up many miles on the Appalachian Trail, spending two weeks every summer with his family in the White Mountains. Later in life, Jim's hiking was replaced with long walks and bike rides in Alexandria and the environs.
Jim was predeceased by his wife of 41 years, Priscilla Aycock, his elder brother, Edmund Davis Blum, and his younger brother, William Allen Blum. He is survived by his former wife, Margene Berry, and their son Christopher Blum and daughter Meredith Ford, and by four grandchildren. Many former coworkers and friends will miss Jim's quiet generosity.
A service to honor both Jim and Priscilla will occur at a later date.