Gene A. Budig, former head of three major universities, author of numerous books, and the last president of the American League, died Tuesday at the age of 81.

He was president of Major League Baseball’s American League from 1994 to 2000. He served as president of Illinois State University and West Virginia University and as chancellor at the University of Kansas. His books include Grasping the Ring: Nine Unique Winners in Life and Sports (2009), Grasping the Ring II: Nine People Who Matter (2010), Swinging for the Fences: Nine Who Did It with Grit and Class (2012) and George Norris, Going Home: Reflections of a Progressive Statesman (2013), all available from Bison Books.

Budig’s writing has been called insightful, masterful, and powerful. He will be missed.