Simon was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of comedian Ernie Simon and actress Patricia Lyons.[3][4][5] He had a sister who died at a young age.[6][7] He grew up in major cities across the United States and Canada, including Chicago; New York City; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Montreal; Cleveland; and Washington, D.C.[4]
Simon's father was Jewish and his mother was IrishCatholic.[8] His father died when Scott was 16,[9] and his mother later married former minor league baseball player Ralph G. Newman, an American Civil War scholar and author who ran the Abraham Lincoln Bookshop in Chicago.[10]
Simon has been with NPR for over four decades, beginning in 1977 as Chicago bureau chief.[8] His career also encompasses writing and television. He has hosted the Saturday edition of Weekend Edition since its inception in 1985, excepting a period in 1992 and 1993 when Alex Chadwick hosted the show.
His books include My Cubs: A Love Story (2017); Home and Away: Memoir of a Fan (2000); Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball (2002); Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other: In Praise of Adoption (2010), about his experiences adopting two daughters; and the novels Pretty Birds (2005) and Windy City: A Novel of Politics (2008).[11]
On the November 15, 2014, episode of Weekend Edition Saturday, Simon interviewed Bill Cosby and his wife Camille about a 62-piece art collection they had loaned to the National Museum of African Art. At the end of the interview, Simon offered Cosby an opportunity to comment on the accusations of sexual assault against him. As narrated by Simon, Cosby refused to comment, only shaking his head no when prompted.[13]
Views
After the September 11 attacks, Simon spoke and wrote in support of the "war on terror", publishing an op-ed in the October 11, 2001, Wall Street Journal titled "Even Pacifists Must Support This War."[14] He questioned nonviolence at greater length in the Quaker publication Friends Journal in December 2001,[15] provoking many angry letters, to which he replied in the May 2003 issue.[16] In 2004, Simon criticized the film Fahrenheit 9/11 for perceived inaccuracies and what he characterized as an unfairly harsh depiction of the U.S. forces.[17]
On December 15, 2018, Simon said of the death of Jakelin Caal, "I do not doubt that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents did all they could to try to save the life of Jakelin Caal Maquin, a 7-year-old girl from Guatemala, who died in the custody of the United States."[18] Journalist Jon Schwarz from The Intercept criticized Simon on Twitter, referencing his comments on Fahrenheit 9/11 to accuse his journalism of allocating excessive benefit of the doubt to the U.S. government.[19]
Awards
Simon has won Peabody and Emmy awards, and received many honorary degrees.[12]
In May 2010, he was conferred Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Willamette University, where he was that year's commencement speaker.[20]
Simon is a laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois, receiving the state's highest honor, the Order of Lincoln from the Governor of Illinois in 2016 in the field of Business, Industry & Communications.[21]
Personal life
As of 2009[update], Simon lives in Washington, D.C.[22] He has been married to French documentary filmmaker Caroline Richard since September 2000.[1] They have two daughters, both adopted as babies from China.[23][24][25][26] They consider themselves a Jewish family (Simon's father was Jewish and his mother was Irish Catholic).[8][24]
In 2006 Simon and his wife were contacted by police as part of the Alexander Litvinenko poisoning investigation. The family was staying at a hotel near the restaurant at the center of the poisoning incident, and had bought food there for one of their daughters. The health of the family was not affected.[27]
In July 2013 Simon began tweeting his emotions and conversations with his mother during the last days of her life. "I just realized: she once had to let me go into the big wide world. Now I have to let her go the same way", read one tweet. In March 2015, he published a memoir about her titled Unforgettable: A Son, a Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime.[28]
Jack Brickhouse, a Chicago broadcaster (1916–1998), is Simon's godfather, whom he refers to as an uncle.[29]
References
^ abLois Smith Brady (September 10, 2000). "Weddings: Vows; Scott Simon and Caroline Richard". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
^"Annoying Campaign Songs". Weekend Edition Saturday. February 23, 2008. National Public Radio. Audio. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
^Susan Van Dongen (November 14, 2000). "Three Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Aaron Copland and NPR's Scott Simon". The Princeton Packet. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
^ abNPR Biography on Scott Simon. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
^Simon – Family Pictures. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
^Paula Davenport (October 26, 2008). "Simon Says". The Spokesman-Review.
^Terry Gross (August 23, 2010). "Scott Simon's Family: 'In Praise of Adoption'". Fresh Air.
^ abcChristine G.K. LaPado-Breglia (May 5, 2011). "NPR Host Scott Simon to Cover Every Beat for Chico Audience". Chico News.
^Scott Simon (April 1, 2015). "'We Don't Fully Grow Up' Until We Lose Our Parents". Morning Edition.
^Jonathan Alter (May 2000). "Chicago's Cubs". The Washington Monthly. Retrieved July 9, 2007.
^"Books". Scott Simon Books=. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
^ ab"Biography: Scott Simon". NPR. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
^Scott Simon (November 15, 2014). "In NPR Interview, Bill Cosby Declines to Discuss Assault Allegations". Weekend Edition Saturday.
^Janssen, Mike (September 8, 2003). . Current. Archived from the original on January 24, 2004.
^Scott Simon (December 1, 2001). "Reflections on the Events of September 11". Friends Journal.
^Scott Simon (May 1, 2003). "To Friends Journal Readers: A Response". Friends Journal.
^Simon, Scott (July 27, 2004). "'Gonzo Demagoguery' Writ Large". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
^"Opinion: What The Death Of A 7-Year-Old Migrant Says About This Country". NPR.org. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
^Schwarz, Jon (December 16, 2018). "In 2004 Scott Simon attacked Fahrenheit 9/11 for not investigating whether bombs that killed Iraqis during the invasion had come from US planes or were errant Iraqi anti-aircraft shells. As if there would have been anti-aircraft shells without the US war". @schwarz. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
^"2010 Honorary Degrees", Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters & CLA Commencement Speaker, Willamette University.
^Office of the Governor, State of Illinois (February 12, 2016). "Governor Rauner Announces Recipients of 2016 Order of Lincoln Award" (PDF). Lincoln Academy of Illinois.
^Schwartzman, Paul (September 7, 2009). "What Washingtonians Make". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
^Scott Simon (November 27, 2004). "Cat and Child, So Comfy Together". Weekend Edition. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
^"Scott Simon Releases First Novel: Pretty Birds", WKAR, August 30, 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
^Scott Simon (June 30, 2007). "Reflections on Welcoming a New Family Member". Weekend Edition. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
^Robert Siegel (November 30, 2006). "NPR Host's Lunch in London Intersects Spy Case". All Things Considered. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
^Carlos Lozada (March 19, 2015). "Review of "Unforgettable: A Son, a Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime" by Scott Simon". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
^"Scott Simon On Life With The Cubs And The Manager Who Cursed Out Chicago".
scott, simon, this, article, about, journalist, country, music, entertainment, executive, scott, siman, other, people, named, disambiguation, born, march, 1952, american, journalist, host, weekend, edition, saturday, simon, 2010born, 1952, march, 1952, chicago. This article is about the NPR journalist For the country music entertainment executive see Scott Siman For other people named Scott Simon see Scott Simon disambiguation Scott Simon born March 16 1952 1 2 is an American journalist and the host of Weekend Edition Saturday on NPR Scott SimonSimon in 2010Born 1952 03 16 March 16 1952 age 70 Chicago Illinois U S OccupationRadio presenterYears active1977 presentEmployerNational Public RadioNotable creditWeekend Edition SaturdaySpouseCaroline Richard m 2000 wbr Children2WebsiteScottSimonBooks com Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 Views 2 2 Awards 3 Personal life 4 References 5 External linksEarly life EditSimon was born in Chicago Illinois the son of comedian Ernie Simon and actress Patricia Lyons 3 4 5 He had a sister who died at a young age 6 7 He grew up in major cities across the United States and Canada including Chicago New York City San Francisco Los Angeles Montreal Cleveland and Washington D C 4 Simon s father was Jewish and his mother was Irish Catholic 8 His father died when Scott was 16 9 and his mother later married former minor league baseball player Ralph G Newman an American Civil War scholar and author who ran the Abraham Lincoln Bookshop in Chicago 10 Simon graduated from Nicholas Senn High School in 1970 Career EditSimon has been with NPR for over four decades beginning in 1977 as Chicago bureau chief 8 His career also encompasses writing and television He has hosted the Saturday edition of Weekend Edition since its inception in 1985 excepting a period in 1992 and 1993 when Alex Chadwick hosted the show His books include My Cubs A Love Story 2017 Home and Away Memoir of a Fan 2000 Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball 2002 Baby We Were Meant for Each Other In Praise of Adoption 2010 about his experiences adopting two daughters and the novels Pretty Birds 2005 and Windy City A Novel of Politics 2008 11 Simon has hosted television series and specials including PBS s Need to Know in 2011 13 12 He guest hosted BBC World News America filling in for Matt Frei citation needed and anchored NBC s Weekend Today in 1992 93 On the November 15 2014 episode of Weekend Edition Saturday Simon interviewed Bill Cosby and his wife Camille about a 62 piece art collection they had loaned to the National Museum of African Art At the end of the interview Simon offered Cosby an opportunity to comment on the accusations of sexual assault against him As narrated by Simon Cosby refused to comment only shaking his head no when prompted 13 Views Edit After the September 11 attacks Simon spoke and wrote in support of the war on terror publishing an op ed in the October 11 2001 Wall Street Journal titled Even Pacifists Must Support This War 14 He questioned nonviolence at greater length in the Quaker publication Friends Journal in December 2001 15 provoking many angry letters to which he replied in the May 2003 issue 16 In 2004 Simon criticized the film Fahrenheit 9 11 for perceived inaccuracies and what he characterized as an unfairly harsh depiction of the U S forces 17 On December 15 2018 Simon said of the death of Jakelin Caal I do not doubt that U S Customs and Border Protection agents did all they could to try to save the life of Jakelin Caal Maquin a 7 year old girl from Guatemala who died in the custody of the United States 18 Journalist Jon Schwarz from The Intercept criticized Simon on Twitter referencing his comments on Fahrenheit 9 11 to accuse his journalism of allocating excessive benefit of the doubt to the U S government 19 Awards Edit Simon has won Peabody and Emmy awards and received many honorary degrees 12 In May 2010 he was conferred Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Willamette University where he was that year s commencement speaker 20 Simon is a laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois receiving the state s highest honor the Order of Lincoln from the Governor of Illinois in 2016 in the field of Business Industry amp Communications 21 Personal life EditAs of 2009 update Simon lives in Washington D C 22 He has been married to French documentary filmmaker Caroline Richard since September 2000 1 They have two daughters both adopted as babies from China 23 24 25 26 They consider themselves a Jewish family Simon s father was Jewish and his mother was Irish Catholic 8 24 In 2006 Simon and his wife were contacted by police as part of the Alexander Litvinenko poisoning investigation The family was staying at a hotel near the restaurant at the center of the poisoning incident and had bought food there for one of their daughters The health of the family was not affected 27 In July 2013 Simon began tweeting his emotions and conversations with his mother during the last days of her life I just realized she once had to let me go into the big wide world Now I have to let her go the same way read one tweet In March 2015 he published a memoir about her titled Unforgettable A Son a Mother and the Lessons of a Lifetime 28 Jack Brickhouse a Chicago broadcaster 1916 1998 is Simon s godfather whom he refers to as an uncle 29 References Edit a b Lois Smith Brady September 10 2000 Weddings Vows Scott Simon and Caroline Richard The New York Times Retrieved February 23 2008 Annoying Campaign Songs Weekend Edition Saturday February 23 2008 National Public Radio Audio Retrieved February 23 2008 Susan Van Dongen November 14 2000 Three Americans Abraham Lincoln Aaron Copland and NPR s Scott Simon The Princeton Packet Retrieved February 23 2008 a b NPR Biography on Scott Simon Retrieved October 9 2012 Simon Family Pictures Retrieved October 9 2012 Paula Davenport October 26 2008 Simon Says The Spokesman Review Terry Gross August 23 2010 Scott Simon s Family In Praise of Adoption Fresh Air a b c Christine G K LaPado Breglia May 5 2011 NPR Host Scott Simon to Cover Every Beat for Chico Audience Chico News Scott Simon April 1 2015 We Don t Fully Grow Up Until We Lose Our Parents Morning Edition Jonathan Alter May 2000 Chicago s Cubs The Washington Monthly Retrieved July 9 2007 Books Scott Simon Books Retrieved May 1 2016 a b Biography Scott Simon NPR Retrieved May 1 2016 Scott Simon November 15 2014 In NPR Interview Bill Cosby Declines to Discuss Assault Allegations Weekend Edition Saturday Janssen Mike September 8 2003 When reporters sound off eyebrows rise Current Archived from the original on January 24 2004 Scott Simon December 1 2001 Reflections on the Events of September 11 Friends Journal Scott Simon May 1 2003 To Friends Journal Readers A Response Friends Journal Simon Scott July 27 2004 Gonzo Demagoguery Writ Large The Wall Street Journal Retrieved November 18 2021 Opinion What The Death Of A 7 Year Old Migrant Says About This Country NPR org Retrieved December 17 2018 Schwarz Jon December 16 2018 In 2004 Scott Simon attacked Fahrenheit 9 11 for not investigating whether bombs that killed Iraqis during the invasion had come from US planes or were errant Iraqi anti aircraft shells As if there would have been anti aircraft shells without the US war schwarz Retrieved December 17 2018 2010 Honorary Degrees Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters amp CLA Commencement Speaker Willamette University Office of the Governor State of Illinois February 12 2016 Governor Rauner Announces Recipients of 2016 Order of Lincoln Award PDF Lincoln Academy of Illinois Schwartzman Paul September 7 2009 What Washingtonians Make The Washington Post Retrieved November 18 2021 Scott Simon November 27 2004 Cat and Child So Comfy Together Weekend Edition Retrieved July 10 2007 a b Jeff Rubin NPR Host Scott Simon Riding on Airwaves Hillel The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life October 18 2006 Also at InterfaithFamily com Both retrieved July 10 2007 Scott Simon Releases First Novel Pretty Birds WKAR August 30 2005 Retrieved July 10 2007 Scott Simon June 30 2007 Reflections on Welcoming a New Family Member Weekend Edition Retrieved July 10 2007 Robert Siegel November 30 2006 NPR Host s Lunch in London Intersects Spy Case All Things Considered Retrieved July 10 2007 Carlos Lozada March 19 2015 Review of Unforgettable A Son a Mother and the Lessons of a Lifetime by Scott Simon The Washington Post Retrieved June 29 2015 Scott Simon On Life With The Cubs And The Manager Who Cursed Out Chicago External links EditScott Simon s official website Weekend Edition Saturday NPR Biography on Scott Simon Voices on Antisemitism Interview with Scott Simon from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Appearances on C SPAN Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Scott Simon amp oldid 1128460699, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
