Evening star., 1945-07-29
Kirke Simpson of AP Retires;
Friend of Presidents Since-7977
Scooped Nation With
Bull Moose Story,
Harding Nomination
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The young reporters ear hurt
AS he lay in his berth, speeding
across the Arizona desert, 1t seemed
that he never wouldsg get to the next
stop and a doctor
Suddenly the curtains rustled, and
high-pitched voice said:
Mr.. Simpson! Mrs. Roosevelt
wants you to try this oil in your
ear"
Kirke Simpson-Simpson of the
Associated Press-took the little bot
tie from the hand of Theodore
Roosevelt. The medicine helped.
Next day doctor lanced an in
fection. T. RS lecture tour rolled
on.
1t was 1911. Kirke Simpson had
been an Associated Press man for
three years. He has been one ever
since-the intimate of Presidents, of
many another great and near-great,
but always a real pal to every news
paperman.
Now after 81 years with the Asso-
ciated Press, he Is retiring on a
pension. Tomorrow he will write his
daily morning paper war column
for the last time and turn it over
to other hands. Friday evening his
fellow Associated Press men and
women will entertain him at small
party. Later he and Mrs. Simpson
will head west to live in San Fran
cisco.
Mr.. Simpson married the former
Miss Ella May Field last April. They
have been living at 302 West Leland
street, Chevy Chase, Md.
Mr.. Simpson joined the Associated
Press in 1908, but he started his
newspaper career as editor of the
Daily Sun in the gold town of
Tonopah, New. Before that he had
served as a bugler in the Spanish
American War.
Scored Bun-Moose Scoop.
Late in 1910, the young AP man
took a vacation trip to the East.
John Gavitt, then chief of the
Washington AP Bureau, learned
that Theodore Roosevelt was going
on a lecture tour to the West Coast.
Mr.. Simpson was the only reporter
on the train.
The tour ended at Helena, Mont.
There Mr.. Roosevelt told Mr.. Simp-
son he planned to run for President
again in 1912. Mr.. Simpson scooped
the country with this advance story
of the Bull-Moose campaign.
Mr.. Simpson returned to San
Francisco, but Mr.. Gavitt had liked
his work and in 1918 he was trans
ferred to Washington, and subse-
quently was assigned to cover the
State, War and Navy Departments.
He found a new man in the AS
sistant Secretary of Nays chair.
His name was Franklin D. Roose-
welt. Until the day of the death of
President Roosevelt, these two were
fast friends.
In 1920 Mr.. Simpson covered his
first political conventions-the Re-
publican at Chicago and the Demo-
cratic at San Francisco.
Wrote of "Smoke-Filled" Room.
At Chicago, it was Mr.. Simpsons
job to prepare stories for early edi-
tions of afternoon papers. At 5 am.
one scalding hot Saturday he was
still without a. good angle for a
story. Then, through certain chan
nels, he learned startling informa-
ton. -.. - ---t
He wrote:
- CHICAGO, June 12 tPs-Hard-
| ing of Ohio was chosen by
group of men In smoke filled
room early today as Republican
candidate for President"
1t was the scoop of the political
season. "Smoke-fllled room" became
a catch phrase with political
writer's.
The body of the Unknown Sol
dier was brought to Arlington Gene
terry in 1921 and the first night of
the ceremonies, his body lay in
state in the Capitol rotunda. Mr..
Simpson covered the ceremonies and
back in the Associated Press office
pecked out on his typewriter:
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 (P.-
A plain soldier, unknown but
weighted with honors as perhaps
no American b, 1. because
he died for the rance, lay
tonight in ghere only
martyred P Lincoln,
Garfield and Mckln.cy have slept
in death -"
They were the opening words OF
the story that won for him the
Pulitzer Prize.
TN 1923 Mr.. Simpson began his
daily column. 1t was called The
Washington Bystander" and dealt
almost altogether with politics. In
1899 the column was converted to
Interpretation Of the war.
He's leaving all that behind now,
happy in a way, but regretful, too.
Sd. {. Area Residents Get