MARCH 17, 2025|
♣Photo♣- Former Wyoming Senator Al Simpson – Courtesy politico.com
Wyoming flags are at half-staff Monday, March 17, as Wyoming mourns the passing on Friday, March 14, of former United States Senator Al Simpson. Simpson was 94.
Governor Mark Gordon ordered both the U.S and Wyoming flags to be lowered to half-staff. They will remain at half-staff until sundown on the day of interment, which has not yet been determined.
Simpson passed early Friday after struggling to recover from a broken hip in December, according to a statement from his family and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a group of museums he served on the board of for 56 years.
Simpson was an old-school Wyoming Republican who found ways to bridge the partisan gap in Washington, D.C. The Cody-native was famous for his humor. He often joked, “We have two political parties in this country, the Stupid Party and the Evil Party. I belong to the Stupid Party.”
A hawk on deficit spending, Simpson often railed on government programs.
During remarks on the Senator floor Friday, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis talked about the Simpson legacy in Wyoming.
A native of Cody, Simpson was elected to the United States Senate in 1978. He served as both, Minority and Majority Whip, until his retirement in 1997. He previously served in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1965 until 1977. In 2022 Simpson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his years of public service and statesmanship.
On Friday morning Governor Gordon issued this statement, “Al Simpson was an amazing friend, an incredible statesman, a thoughtful courageous politician, and a wonderful human being who brought humor, wisdom, and razor-sharp insight to any situation. Wyoming has lost a true light.”
The governor said Simpson “embodied the best of Wyoming—what America used to be.”
In Washington, D.C. Friday, Wyoming’s Senior Senator John Barrasso honored the legacy of Simpson.
The University of Wyoming also issued a statement on Friday about the passing of the former U.S. Senator. UW President Ed Seidel wrote, Simpson “was a proud alumnus of Wyoming’s university and contributed endlessly to our students, faculty and staff in building our programs, facilities and reputation. He leaves an amazing legacy of statesmanship, humor, civility and accomplishment that will never be forgotten.”
Simpson earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UW in 1954 and his Juris Doctor in 1958. Simpson would describe his experiences in Laramie—in and out of the classroom—as “the root” of who he was.
Among other awards, UW bestowed its highest honor, a Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa– “For the Sake of Honor” — to Simpson in 1999.
Colin Simpson, one of the late senator’s three children and a former Wyoming House Speaker, said that his late father was “gifted in crossing party lines and building bipartisan consensus.”
President Barack Obama tapped Simpson in 2010 to co-lead a deficit reduction commission that eventually developed a plan to save $4 trillion through a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts, although the plan never gathered much support in Congress.
Simpson’s ancestors arrived in Wyoming before the wild place became a state. His grandfather was the foreman on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Simpson’s grandmother, known as “Nannie,” taught on the reservation at a Catholic Mission school. His grandfather, Will Simpson, practiced law.
The late Al Simpson’s father, Milward Simpson, also served in the U.S. Senate and as the 23rd Governor of Wyoming—the first person to serve as governor of the Cowboy State who was born here.
In a documentary aired on Wyoming PBS, Al Simpson recalled the political color and humor he had inherited from his dad while capturing the closeknit fabric of politics in the state.
Now, Wyoming mourns Al Simpson, who served the state and the nation for 18 years in the U.S. Senate, 12 years in the Wyoming House of Representatives and 28 years as an active elder stateman.
Governor Gordon visited the former U.S. Senator last month. “Our hearts are broken,” the governor said in a statement, recalling Simpson as “one of the greats of our lifetime.”
