Jeanne Hurley Simon

Jeanne C. Hurley Simon (May 10, 1922 – February 20, 2000) was the first wife of Senator Paul Simon and the mother of former Illinois Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon, was a state and national public official in her own right.

Jeanne Hurley Simon
Chair of the National Commission on Libraries & Information Science
In office
1993–2000
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byJ. Michael Farrell
Succeeded byMartha B. Gould
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
from the 7th district
In office
1957–1961
Preceded byJoseph J. Lelivelt
Succeeded byRobert Marks
Personal details
Born(1922-05-10)May 10, 1922
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedFebruary 20, 2000(2000-02-20) (aged 77)
Makanda, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 1960)​
Alma materBarat College (B.A.)
Northwestern University (J.D.)
ProfessionAttorney
Author

Early life and career

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Simon moved to Chicago's North Shore, graduating from New Trier High School. She then attended Barat College. After receiving her bachelor of arts, she attended law school at Northwestern University School of Law. She was admitted to the Illinois bar and practiced law including work as a Cook County Assistant State's Attorney.[1][2]

Illinois House of Representatives

A member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1957 to 1961. A supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, Hurley was a member of the Catholic Interracial Council and the NAACP.[1] On April 21, 1960 she married fellow State Assemblyman Paul Simon, thus becoming the first two sitting members of that body that were married to each other. She did not seek reelection, later becoming a mother to Sheila and Martin Simon, a lawyer, an author, and supporting her husband when he served as the state's lieutenant governor from 1969 to 1973, during his failed gubernatorial bid in 1972, and his terms as congressman and United States Senator until 1997.

Later career

In recognition of her lifelong advocacy of libraries and literacy, President Bill Clinton appointed her in 1993 and 1997 to two terms as chairperson of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, in which she served until her death from brain cancer on February 20, 2000, at the age of 77, at her home, in Makanda, Illinois.[3][4] A decade after her death, her daughter Sheila became Lieutenant Governor of Illinois.

References
  1. 'Illinois Blue Book 1959-1960, Biographical Sketch of Jeanne C. Hurley, pg. 216
  2. Chase, John (February 21, 2000). "Jeanne Simon, Wife Of Ex-Senator". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  3. NCLIS Chair Jeanne Simon Dies at 77 ALA
  4. "Congressional Record – Senate" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-30. Retrieved 2011-08-03.


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