Wyoming, nation celebrate Simpson’s life

CODY — “It felt like meeting my crazy uncle in the attic,” Erskine Bowles said, recalling his first meeting with former Sen. Alan K. Simpson in the 1990s. “But I came to remember the pure joy he brought into my life.”

Al Simpson was remembered at a hometown memorial service Monday at Christ Episcopal Church, followed by a reception and open house at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.

Two other services commemorating Simpson were held in Cheyenne and Laramie from March 27-29. On Thursday and Friday, Simpson lay in honor at the Wyoming State Capitol building and on Saturday, he was honored by his alma mater, the University of Wyoming, with a Celebration of Life service.

Simpson’s death at the age of 93 on March 14 garnered international headlines and condolences from leaders around the world.

The speakers at the Celebration of Life referenced the national and global outpouring of grief, but also described Simpson’s deep love for his wife of more than 70 years, Ann, his brother, Peter K. Simpson, and his children and grandchildren.

They spoke of his personal character, with anecdotes ranging from his famous sense of humor and love of words to his generous spirit, sharp intellect and integrity.

National leaders

Ben Blalock, the former UW Foundation President, told the assembly in his opening remarks that when “our founders created this country, they had leaders like Al in mind.”

Both former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Blalock said, had called and spoken with Simpson during his final months. Bush, whose father considered Simpson a close friend, “called just a few minutes” after learning of his declining health.

Blalock also shared that former President Joe Biden had wanted to attend the service to honor his former Senate colleague, but was ultimately unable. Instead, Biden sent a letter with his remarks, which Blalock read.

Biden praised Simpson’s belief in the common good of humanity and wrote to those who survived him and mourn his loss, “It is my hope that the memory of Al becomes a source of strength for each of you and that you will find purpose in living lives worthy of him.”

UW leaders

Simpson’s fingerprints “are everywhere on this campus,” remarked UW President Ed Seidel.

On August 22 last year, the university’s law school opened the Alan K. Simpson Center for Clinical and Experiential Learning.

At the time, Simpson quipped that the new building was “the only institution on this campus named after a ‘C’ student,” drawing laughs. In addition to the law school center, UW also is home to the Simpson Family Plaza, which houses the university’s welcome center at the heart of the campus.

Philip Dubois, former UW president, recalled Simpson’s dedication to serving the university as one of its most accomplished alumni. He recalled approaching Simpson to serve as chairman of the UW Campaign for Distinction, which had set a goal of raising $100 million for the school between 2001 and 2005.

“He made one condition: we could not leave or seek other employment until we had accomplished our goal,” Dubois recalled. “We passed our campaign goal by November 2004.”

But Simpson did not stop there, Dubois said, and continued fundraising so that, by the campaign’s end in 2005, the school had received over $205 million in donations, over twice the original goal.

Blalock, Dubois and Seidel all spoke of Simpson’s warmth and their personal relationships with him. Seidel remembered Simpson’s soft power, recalling a tough week early in his time at the university when nothing seemed to be going right — and then Simpson called.

“He made me feel like family,” Seidel said.

In his remarks, Blalock recalled, “We’d close every conversation and I’d say, ‘I love you.’ [Al and Ann] are two of the greatest gifts God gave me in my life.”

He continued, saying, “We all wanted to make Al laugh […] to have him make sense of the world’s issues […] to call us by our names.”

Dubois, who left UW to become Chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, shared that when he broke the news of his impending departure to Simpson, “we cried together.” Simpson later spoke at Dubois’s installation as the university’s chancellor.

He went on to say that he and his wife, Lisa, remained in close contact with Al and Ann. Though the Dubois were unable to return to Wyoming until 2024, the former university president explained he and Simpson regularly sent each other letters.

“I kept every one,” he told the audience.

Wyoming governors

Gov. Mark Gordon characterized Simpson as “one of our best and wisest citizens: stalwart in his love of his family and country, and what this country means to young and old alike.”

Dismissing any attempt to label the late statesman a political “moderate,” Gordon praised Simpson’s legislative record, highlighting several of the key accomplishments Simpson achieved while still working at the state level, which include Wyoming’s merit-based approach to selecting judges and its permanent mineral trust fund.

Simpson would later play instrumental roles in the passage of 1983’s Wyoming Wilderness Act and 1992’s Clean Air Act; for the latter, Simpson wrote an amendment that allowed Wyoming’s low-sulfur coal to be counted as a controlled technology, limiting its regulation while, Gordon said, “eradicating acid rain.”

“Al was a consummate politician and human being,” said former Gov. Mike Sullivan, “and that was brought about by the fact that he was a listener and loved people.”

To Sullivan, the secret to Simpson’s success was his family.

He credited Simpson’s father, Milward, and mother, Lorna Kooi, for Simpson’s trademark sense of humor, instilling in Simpson “good values against hate” and offering him “unconditional love” as a child; Pete, Sullivan said, provided guidance and kept Simpson competitive and humble; his children and grandchildren carry forward the family’s legacy of unconditional love and joy. But, Sullivan added, there was one person who helped Simpson transcend mortality to become truly great.

“He succeeded with the love, impact and influence of Ann, his wife,” said Sullivan, praising her strength, tenacity and famous ability to clearly communicate and silence her husband with a single look or a light clearing of her throat.

Former Gov. Mike Mead spoke warmly of Simpson, noting that his family has had a relationship with the Simpson clan for more than 100 years. In his remarks, he praised Simpson for his generosity and graciousness, calling him “wonderful.”

Between anecdotes that reflected how Simpson’s memory is so tightly bound to Wyoming’s own story, Mead praised Simpson’s willingness to open doors for others in the community and around the state, as well as Simpson’s principled nature.

“During this time when our country seems so divided, it’s a great loss to lose a guiding light like Al,” Mead concluded. “Al listened to those opposing views and could mix it up with anyone.  Al was tough, but never lost sight of the difference between disagreeing with someone and disliking someone.”

Politicians, former staffer, and business

The current U.S. Senators from Wyoming, John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, both spoke on Saturday. They were joined by sitting Rep. Harriet Hageman; former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney; Simpson’s former Chief of Staff and Chief Counsel, Mike Tongour; Steve Case, Simpson’s friend and the former CEO of AOL; and Erskine Bowles, who worked for the Clinton administration and co-led the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform with Simpson.

Barrasso praised Simpson for living by the Cowboy Code “before we had a Cowboy Code” and for the latter’s ability to “make you laugh, but also make you think,” noting that it was this ability to disarm his audiences that made Simpson so effective.

He told the assembly that when he received news of Simpson’s death, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania offered his condolences, saying Simpson inspired his own career — Fetterman attended Harvard during the years Simpson was teaching there.

In addition, Barrasso received sympathies from the king of Jordan during an overseas trip last month. He said the king, who knew Simpson personally, told him, “I love Wyoming. I love Cody.”

Like Barrasso, Lummis praised Simpson’s ability to “[befriend] presidents and kings, ball players and popes.”

She recalled stories of the famed broadcast journalist Ted Koppel visiting Wyoming for another interview with Simpson and said, “All of us in Wyoming have been blessed that the Simpson family would share its beloved treasure with us […] With his love, his humor, his cowboy countenance, Al Simpson changed the world.”

Hageman said that anyone in the world of Wyoming politics and philanthropy “knew Al Simpson.” She also recognized Simpson for having lived a life of service and commended his authenticity.

“I will always admire his sincerity,” said Hageman. “Whether his beliefs were in vogue, or in the minority, he stood strong for them and relentless for their pursuit.”

Cheney, whose family has shared a lifelong friendship with the Simpsons, recalled the 1978 political campaigns that her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, and Simpson ran while seeking election as the U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator, respectively. The families road-tripped around the state together, she recounted, and she and her sister often watched the two men give their stump speeches and answer audience questions.

She characterized that period as “the Golden Age of our Congressional delegation,” describing Simpson, her father, and the late Malcolm Wallop, who served with Simpson in the Senate, as “serious people who cared deeply about our country.”

Of Simpson, she went on to say, “We all know his warmth, humor and kindness, but he was also an intellectual […] He believed in this state and thought the people deserved to know the truth.

“He knew silence was complicity.”

Mike Tongour, who spoke on behalf of the hundreds of staffers who worked for the Simpsons, said Simpson “made us feel unique” and “valued our work and our loyalty.”

He detailed Simpson’s genuine interest in the lives of his staff, recalling how he asked after their spouses, children and outside interests. He also recalled how Simpson had a knack for bringing people together and encouraging relationships, “including my own.”

Echoing others, Tongour described Simpson as a “Renaissance man,” one who loved art, literature, sports, his family and other people. When asked for a single word to describe himself, Tongour recalled, Simpson had replied, “Curious.”

“We should remember Al by trying to be a bit more like him,” he continued. “To believe in the inherent goodness of people, have more compassion for the disadvantaged and marginalized, to believe in redemption, giving people a second chance, to lead with warmth, love, humor and take extra time to get to know a person.”

Case shared similar sentiments, saying, “We should be slow to judge others, swift to defend the weak, steady in our resolve to combat evil and ready at all times to speak well of this great experiment called America,” to honor Simpson. He praised Simpson for never putting on airs or allowing the power he accrued to go to his head.

“Al never shied away from speaking his mind,” Bowles said. “I loved that man’s sense of humor, but [more than that] his integrity. This giant man lived his integrity. He was a man you knew you could trust, trust to your very core.”

While working together, Simpson and Bowles traveled the country to speak with Americans from all walks of life and political affiliations. Bowles recalled marveling at Simpson’s oratorical skills, wit and ability to win over people everywhere they went.

“The heart of a good public servant is rooted in humility,” said Bowles. “Al’s ability to connect with people regardless of their political affiliation and background was a testament to his character.”

One night on the road, Bowles recalled, the two shared a couple of sodas and Simpson “shared a little cowboy wisdom.”

“‘People don’t care how much you know ‘til they know how much you care,’” Bowles recalled Simpson as having said that night. He went on to add that Simpson had also advised him “‘Trust is everything.’”

During their travels, Bowles remembered Simpson as always wanting to make detours to local museums. More recently, upon learning that Bowles would be traveling soon, Simpson asked if Bowles had visited the Guggenheim yet. When Bowles demurred and Simpson asked why not, citing their many museum visits together, Bowles recalled having admitted, “I never really liked visiting those museums, Al. I just liked being with you.”

Family

Pete K. Simpson spoke of the lasting impact UW had on his younger brother and their time together on campus. He remembered the other students admiring Al’s “style, his humor, his easy way.”

He also spoke of how, at UW, his brother met his match in Ann, who he described as one of the most beautiful girls on campus and joked that his own shocked reaction to Al saying “he was going to marry Ann” was “not what a brother wanted to hear.”

“He considered UW a touchstone for the career he wanted to make,” said Simpson. “He decided to try to give back and he did.”

Simpson went on to compare his brother to another famous American politician: “He was kind of Lincoln-esque in his stature, his demeanor, his humor, the stories he would tell, the small-town lawyer common sense […] His feeling was you have to be the human being you want to be.”

Simpson’s son Colin remembered his father’s love for life.

“He threw snowballs from the roof of the White House with President Bush and had dinner with Reagan,” he recalled. “He used to say to us kids, ‘It’s a great day for the race,’ and when we would say, ‘What race?’ he’d reply, ‘The human race!’”

Simpson also spoke of his father’s love of words, joking that Al “never met a document he could not edit.” He often reworked speeches and letters of recommendation, Colin said, to make them more Simpson-like.

“He always had the perfect choice of words. He was so good at it.”

He remembered his father’s wide-ranging taste in reading material — not only novels, but plays, poetry, journals and newspapers — and how he regularly shared articles with his family with notes written in black marker. He also remembered his father’s gentle nature and sensitivity.

“He reached out easily in hard times,” said Simpson of his father. “I know he felt different and insecure in ways that few people would ever understand […] He wanted to know about his fellow man; he was full of grace.”

This story was published on March 31, 2025.