Simon, after a long legislative career that fine-tuned his ability to speak out and make a point, has been welcomed home as a needed stimulant at Southern Illinois. Unlike most retiring senators, Simon had rejected options to stay in Washington, as well as dozens of invitations to join more prestigious campuses, including Northwestern University. A daughter, her husband and two grandchildren live in Carbondale. Sparked by interest in the conferences he has organized, the senator has been repeatedly interviewed on National Public Radio. The Chicago Tribune, St. Louis Post Dispatch, and other major newspapers also have reported on some of the sessions.
Foundations are more interested in results than research reports.
We will establish ourselves as an institute willing to work on different projects and with people on a bipartisan basis to get things done. If we carry out our mission successfully, we will leave a legacy. Simon and Lawrence attribute this to keeping a focus on current and future issues. Simon had to undergo emergency heart bypass surgery early in January, which may require postponing his plans for inviting experts in February to explore whether Congress should renew the law authorizing independent prosecutors, such as Kenneth Starr. The conference about that issue will take place in St. Louis, across the Mississippi from a smaller SIU branch in Edwardsville.