Simon

White text with a red line underneath on a blue background

Paul Simon (1928-2003) was born in Eugene, Oregon but moved to Illinois in 1948. Simon served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War from 1950-1953, and entered politics in 1955 as part of the Democratic party. He was in the Illinois State Congress until 1968 and became Illinois's Lieutenant Governor in 1969. From 1975 to 1985 Simon served as an U.S. Representative then served as a U.S. Senator for Illinois from 1985 until his retirement in 1997. Simon unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988. His signature look of horn-rimmed glasses and distinctive bow ties became a trademark later incorporated into campaign logos.

After Simon left office in 1997, he established and served as the director of The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale until his death in 2003.