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{{short description|American journalist}}
{{About|the NPR journalist|the country music entertainment executive|Scott Siman}}
{{About|the NPR journalist|the country music entertainment executive|Scott Siman}}
{{Other people}}
{{Other people}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
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| birth_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|03|16}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|03|16}}
| birth_place = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], [[United States of America|United States]]
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| known_for = [[Weekend Edition]] Saturday
| credits = ''[[Weekend Edition]] Saturday''
| organization = [[National Public Radio]]
| employer = [[National Public Radio]]
| occupation = [[Radio personality|Presenter]]
| occupation = Radio presenter
| prevshow =
| website = {{URL|www.scottsimonbooks.com|ScottSimonBooks.com}}
| website = {{URL|www.scottsimonbooks.com|ScottSimonBooks.com}}
| years_active = 1977–present
| spouse = Caroline Richard (m. 2000; 2 children)
| spouse = {{marriage|Caroline Richard|2000}}
| children = 2
}}
}}


'''Scott Simon''' (born March 16, 1952)<ref name=NYTimes>{{cite news |author=Lois Smith Brady |title=Weddings: Vows; Scott Simon and Caroline Richard |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE4DA1339F933A2575AC0A9669C8B63 |work=The New York Times |date=September 10, 2000 |accessdate=February 23, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Annoying Campaign Songs |episodelink= |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19304252 |series=Weekend Edition Saturday |serieslink=Weekend Edition |credits= |network=National Public Radio |airdate=February 23, 2008 |transcript=Audio |transcripturl=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19304252 |accessdate=February 23, 2008}}</ref> is an American [[journalist]] and the host of ''[[Weekend Edition]] Saturday'' on [[NPR]].
'''Scott Simon''' (born March 16, 1952)<ref name=NYTimes>{{cite news |author=Lois Smith Brady |title=Weddings: Vows; Scott Simon and Caroline Richard |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE4DA1339F933A2575AC0A9669C8B63 |work=The New York Times |date=September 10, 2000 |access-date=February 23, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Annoying Campaign Songs |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19304252 |series=Weekend Edition Saturday |series-link=Weekend Edition |network=National Public Radio |airdate=February 23, 2008 |transcript=Audio |transcript-url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19304252 |access-date=February 23, 2008}}</ref> is an American journalist and the host of ''[[Weekend Edition]] Saturday'' on [[NPR]].


== Early life ==
== Early life ==
Simon was born in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], the son of comedian Ernie Simon and actress Patricia Lyons.<ref name=PrincetonPacket>{{cite web |author=Susan Van Dongen |title=Three Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Aaron Copland and NPR's Scott Simon |url=http://www.pacpubserver.com/new/enter/11-14-00/copland.html |publisher=The Princeton Packet |date=November 14, 2000 |accessdate=February 23, 2008}}</ref><ref name=NPRBio>[https://www.npr.org/people/3874941/scott-simon NPR Biography on Scott Simon]. Retrieved October 9, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.scottsimonbooks.com/scottsimonbooks.com/Chicago_Family_Pictures.html ''Simon – Family Pictures'']. Retrieved October 9, 2012.</ref> He also had a sister who died at a young age.<ref>{{cite news |author=Paula Davenport |title=Simon Says |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/oct/26/simon-says/ |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=October 26, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Scott Simon's Family: 'In Praise of Adoption' |author=Terry Gross |publisher=Fresh Air |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129375629&ft=1&f=13 |date=August 23, 2010}}</ref> 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.]]<ref name=NPRBio />
Simon was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of comedian Ernie Simon and actress Patricia Lyons.<ref name=PrincetonPacket>{{cite web |author=Susan Van Dongen |title=Three Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Aaron Copland and NPR's Scott Simon |url=http://www.pacpubserver.com/new/enter/11-14-00/copland.html |publisher=The Princeton Packet |date=November 14, 2000 |access-date=February 23, 2008}}</ref><ref name=NPRBio>[https://www.npr.org/people/3874941/scott-simon NPR Biography on Scott Simon]. Retrieved October 9, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.scottsimonbooks.com/scottsimonbooks.com/Chicago_Family_Pictures.html ''Simon – Family Pictures'']. Retrieved October 9, 2012.</ref> He had a sister who died at a young age.<ref>{{cite news |author=Paula Davenport |title=Simon Says |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/oct/26/simon-says/ |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |date=October 26, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Scott Simon's Family: 'In Praise of Adoption' |author=Terry Gross |publisher=Fresh Air |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129375629&ft=1&f=13 |date=August 23, 2010}}</ref> 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.<ref name=NPRBio />


Simon's father was [[American Jews|Jewish]] and his mother was [[Irish Americans|Irish]] [[Catholic]].<ref name=ChicoNews>{{cite web |author=Christine G.K. LaPado-Breglia |url=http://www.newsreview.com/chico/familiar-voice/content?oid=1984069 |title=NPR Host Scott Simon to Cover Every Beat for Chico Audience |publisher=Chico News |date=May 5, 2011}}</ref> His father died when Scott was 16,<ref>{{cite web |author=Scott Simon |title='We Don't Fully Grow Up' Until We Lose Our Parents |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/04/01/396599202/scott-simon-we-dont-fully-grow-up-until-we-lose-our-parents |publisher=Morning Edition |date=April 1, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref name=WashingtonMonthly>{{cite magazine |author=Jonathan Alter |title=Chicago's Cubs |url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/books/2000/0005.alter.html |magazine=The Washington Monthly |date=May 2000 |accessdate=July 9, 2007}}</ref>
Simon's father was [[American Jews|Jewish]] and his mother was [[Irish Americans|Irish]] [[Catholic]].<ref name=ChicoNews>{{cite web |author=Christine G.K. LaPado-Breglia |url=http://www.newsreview.com/chico/familiar-voice/content?oid=1984069 |title=NPR Host Scott Simon to Cover Every Beat for Chico Audience |publisher=Chico News |date=May 5, 2011}}</ref> His father died when Scott was 16,<ref>{{cite web |author=Scott Simon |title='We Don't Fully Grow Up' Until We Lose Our Parents |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/04/01/396599202/scott-simon-we-dont-fully-grow-up-until-we-lose-our-parents |publisher=Morning Edition |date=April 1, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref name=WashingtonMonthly>{{cite magazine |author=Jonathan Alter |title=Chicago's Cubs |url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/books/2000/0005.alter.html |magazine=The Washington Monthly |date=May 2000 |access-date=July 9, 2007}}</ref>


Simon graduated from [[Senn High School|Nicholas Senn High School]] in 1970.
Simon graduated from [[Senn High School|Nicholas Senn High School]] in 1970.


==Career==
==Career==
Simon has been with NPR for over four decades, beginning in 1977 as Chicago bureau chief,<ref name=ChicoNews /> and his career encompasses other types of media as well. He has hosted the Saturday edition of ''Weekend Edition'' since its inception in 1985, with the exception of a brief period in 1992 and 1993 when [[Alex Chadwick]] hosted the show.
Simon has been with NPR for over four decades, beginning in 1977 as Chicago bureau chief.<ref name=ChicoNews /> 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).<ref>{{cite web |title=Books |url=http://www.scottsimonbooks.com |publisher=Scott Simon Books= |accessdate=May 1, 2016}}</ref>
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).<ref>{{cite web |title=Books |url=http://www.scottsimonbooks.com |publisher=Scott Simon Books= |access-date=May 1, 2016}}</ref> In 2023, he published the audiobook, ''Swingtime for Hitler'', about the Nazis' use of jazz as a propaganda tool during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gross |first=Terry |date=September 20, 2023 |title='Swingtime for Hitler' explores the Nazis use of jazz as a propaganda tool |website=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/09/20/1200547564/swingtime-for-hitler-explores-the-nazis-use-of-jazz-as-a-propaganda-tool}}</ref>


He has also hosted many television series and specials, including [[PBS]]'s ''[[Need to Know (PBS)|Need to Know]]'' in 2011–13.<ref name="Biography: Scott Simon">{{cite web |title=Biography: Scott Simon |url=https://www.npr.org/people/3874941/scott-simon |publisher=NPR |accessdate=May 1, 2016}}</ref> He guest-hosted ''[[BBC World News America]]'', filling in for Matt Frei,{{Citation needed|date=March 2015}} and anchored [[NBC]]'s ''[[Weekend Today]]'' in 1992–93.
Simon has hosted television series and specials, including [[PBS]]'s ''[[Need to Know (PBS)|Need to Know]]'' in 2011–13.<ref name="Biography: Scott Simon">{{cite web |title=Biography: Scott Simon |url=https://www.npr.org/people/3874941/scott-simon |publisher=NPR |access-date=May 1, 2016}}</ref> He guest-hosted ''[[BBC World News America]]'', filling in for Matt Frei,{{Citation needed|date=March 2015}} 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 Cosby|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 [[Bill Cosby sexual assault cases|accusations of sexual assault]] against him. As narrated by Simon, Cosby refused to comment, only shaking his head no when prompted.<ref>{{cite web |author=Scott Simon |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/11/15/364297097/in-npr-interview-bill-cosby-declines-to-discuss-assault-allegations |title=In NPR Interview, Bill Cosby Declines to Discuss Assault Allegations |date=November 15, 2014 |work=Weekend Edition Saturday}}</ref>
===Controversies===
⚫
After [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001]], 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."<ref name=EvenPacifistsMustSupportThisWar>[http://weber.ucsd.edu/~ecomisso/when_we_must_fight__even_pacifis.htm Web copy] made available by [http://weber.ucsd.edu/~ecomisso/ Ellen Comisso], retrieved January 16, 2010. The op-ed is cited and quoted in {{cite journal |authorlink=Mike Janssen |title=When reporters sound off, eyebrows rise |journal=Current |date=September 8, 2003 |url=http://www.current.org/ethics/ethics0316news.shtml}} Retrieved January 16, 2010.</ref> He questioned [[nonviolence]] at greater length in the Quaker publication ''[[Friends Journal]]'' in December 2001,<ref name=FriendsDec2001>{{cite web |url=http://www.friendsjournal.org/issue/december-2001 |title=Reflections on the Events of September 11 |author=Scott Simon |date=December 1, 2001 |website=Friends Journal}}</ref> provoking many angry letters, to which he replied in the May 2003 issue.<ref name=FriendsMay2003>{{cite web |url=http://www.friendsjournal.org/friends-journal-readers-response |title=To Friends Journal Readers: A Response |author=Scott Simon |date=May 1, 2003 |website=Friends Journal}}</ref>


===Views===
⚫
On November 15, 2014, at the beginning of an interview for ''[[Weekend Edition]] Saturday'', [[Bill Cosby]] and his wife [[Camille Cosby|Camille]] declined to respond to the accusations of sexual assault against Cosby when Simon gave them the opportunity. As narrated by Simon in the interview, Cosby only shook his head no. The rest of the interview focused on the couple's loan of their 62-piece African art collection for an exhibition in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite web |author=Scott Simon |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/11/15/364297097/in-npr-interview-bill-cosby-declines-to-discuss-assault-allegations |title=In NPR Interview, Bill Cosby Declines to Discuss Assault Allegations |date=November 15, 2014 |work=Weekend Edition Saturday}}</ref>
⚫
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."<ref name="EvenPacifistsMustSupportThisWar">{{Cite journal |last=Janssen |first=Mike |date=September 8, 2003 |title=When reporters sound off, eyebrows rise |url=http://www.current.org/ethics/ethics0316news.shtml |journal=Current |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040124133434/http://www.current.org/ethics/ethics0316news.shtml |archive-date=2004-01-24}}</ref> He questioned [[nonviolence]] at greater length in the Quaker publication ''[[Friends Journal]]'' in December 2001,<ref name=FriendsDec2001>{{cite web |url=http://www.friendsjournal.org/issue/december-2001 |title=Reflections on the Events of September 11 |first=Scott |last=Simon |date=December 1, 2001 |website=Friends Journal}}</ref> provoking many angry letters, to which he replied in the May 2003 issue.<ref name=FriendsMay2003>{{cite web |url=http://www.friendsjournal.org/friends-journal-readers-response |title=To Friends Journal Readers: A Response |first=Scott |last=Simon |date=May 1, 2003 |website=Friends Journal}}</ref> In 2004, Simon criticized [[Michael Moore]]'s film ''[[Fahrenheit 9/11]]'' for perceived inaccuracies and what he characterized as an unfairly harsh depiction of the U.S. forces.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB109088016885774289|title='Gonzo Demagoguery' Writ Large|last=Simon|first=Scott|date=July 27, 2004|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|access-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref>


On December 15, 2018, Simon opened on a story on the [[death of Jakelin Caal]] by saying, "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."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/12/15/676894328/opinion-what-the-death-of-a-7-year-old-migrant-says-about-this-country|title=Opinion: What The Death Of A 7-Year-Old Migrant Says About This Country|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=December 17, 2018}}</ref> Journalist Jon Schwarz from ''[[The Intercept]]'' criticized Simon on Twitter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/schwarz/status/1074459528400379904|title=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.|last=Schwarz|first=Jon|date=December 16, 2018|website=@schwarz|language=en|access-date=December 17, 2018}}</ref>
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."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/12/15/676894328/opinion-what-the-death-of-a-7-year-old-migrant-says-about-this-country|title=Opinion: What The Death Of A 7-Year-Old Migrant Says About This Country|last=Simon|first=Scott|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=December 17, 2018}}</ref>


=== Awards ===
=== Awards ===
Simon has won every major award in broadcasting, including the [[Peabody Award|Peabody]] and the [[Emmy]], and has received numerous honorary degrees.<ref name="Biography: Scott Simon" />
Simon has won [[Peabody Award|Peabody]] and [[Emmy]] awards, and received many honorary degrees.<ref name="Biography: Scott Simon" />


In May 2010, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree by [[Willamette University]], where he was that year's commencement speaker.<ref>[http://www.willamette.edu/events/commencement/cla/honorary_degrees/past_recipients/2010/index.html "2010 Honorary Degrees"], Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters & CLA Commencement Speaker, Willamette University.</ref>
In May 2010, he was conferred Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by [[Willamette University]], where he was that year's commencement speaker.<ref>[http://www.willamette.edu/events/commencement/cla/honorary_degrees/past_recipients/2010/index.html "2010 Honorary Degrees"], Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters & CLA Commencement Speaker, Willamette University.</ref>


He was inducted as a Laureate of [[The Lincoln Academy of Illinois]] and awarded the [[The Lincoln Academy of Illinois|Order of Lincoln]] (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2016 in the area of Business, Industry & Communications.<ref>{{cite web |author=Office of the Governor, State of Illinois |title=Governor Rauner Announces Recipients of 2016 Order of Lincoln Award |url=http://thelincolnacademyofillinois.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Governors-press-release.2.12.16.pdf |date=February 12, 2016 |publisher=Lincoln Academy of Illinois}}</ref>
Simon is a laureate of [[The Lincoln Academy of Illinois]], receiving the state's highest honor, the [[The Lincoln Academy of Illinois|Order of Lincoln]] from the Governor of Illinois in 2016 in the field of Business, Industry & Communications.<ref>{{cite web |author=Office of the Governor, State of Illinois |title=Governor Rauner Announces Recipients of 2016 Order of Lincoln Award |url=http://thelincolnacademyofillinois.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Governors-press-release.2.12.16.pdf |date=February 12, 2016 |publisher=Lincoln Academy of Illinois}}</ref>


== Family ==
== Personal life ==
Simon met French documentary filmmaker Caroline Richard during an NPR interview in 2000. They married on September 10, 2000, in a mixed-faith ([[Methodist]], [[Quaker]], and [[Jewish]]) service in [[Ridgefield, Connecticut]], at the home of fashion designer [[Alexander Julian]].<ref name=NYTimes /> They have two daughters, both adopted as babies from China: Elise, in 2004,<ref name=CatAndChild>{{cite web |author=Scott Simon |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4189029 |title=Cat and Child, So Comfy Together |publisher=[[Weekend Edition]] |date=November 27, 2004 |accessdate=July 10, 2007}}</ref><ref name=Hillel>Jeff Rubin, [http://www.hillel.org/about/news-views/news-views---blog/news-and-views/2006/10/18/scott-simon-npr-host-riding-on-airwaves "NPR Host Scott Simon: Riding on Airwaves"], [[Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life]], October 18, 2006. Also [http://www.interfaithfamily.com/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=ekLSK5MLIrG&b=297403&ct=3220797 at InterfaithFamily.com]. Both retrieved July 10, 2007.</ref><ref name=WKAR>[http://wkar.org/enews/story.php?fill=050830/prettybirds "Scott Simon Releases First Novel: Pretty Birds"], WKAR, August 30, 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2007.</ref> and Lina, in 2007.<ref name="Reflections">{{cite web |author=Scott Simon |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11626212 |title=Reflections on Welcoming a New Family Member |publisher=[[Weekend Edition]] |date=June 30, 2007 |accessdate=July 10, 2007}}</ref> <!-- Text at http://boomercafe.typepad.com/boomercafe/2007/06/reflections-on-.html --> They consider themselves a Jewish family (Simon's father was Jewish and his mother was Irish Catholic).<ref name=ChicoNews /><ref name=Hillel />
{{As of|2009}}, Simon lives in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/salaries/|title = What Washingtonians Make|newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]|date = September 7, 2009|accessdate = November 18, 2021|last = Schwartzman|first = Paul}}</ref> He has been married to French documentary filmmaker Caroline Richard since September 2000.<ref name=NYTimes /> They have two daughters, both adopted as babies from China.<ref name=CatAndChild>{{cite web |author=Scott Simon |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4189029 |title=Cat and Child, So Comfy Together |publisher=[[Weekend Edition]] |date=November 27, 2004 |access-date=July 10, 2007}}</ref><ref name=Hillel>Jeff Rubin, [http://www.hillel.org/about/news-views/news-views---blog/news-and-views/2006/10/18/scott-simon-npr-host-riding-on-airwaves "NPR Host Scott Simon: Riding on Airwaves"], [[Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life]], October 18, 2006. Also [http://www.interfaithfamily.com/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=ekLSK5MLIrG&b=297403&ct=3220797 at InterfaithFamily.com]. Both retrieved July 10, 2007.</ref><ref name=WKAR>[http://wkar.org/enews/story.php?fill=050830/prettybirds "Scott Simon Releases First Novel: Pretty Birds"], WKAR, August 30, 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2007.</ref><ref name="Reflections">{{cite web |author=Scott Simon |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11626212 |title=Reflections on Welcoming a New Family Member |publisher=[[Weekend Edition]] |date=June 30, 2007 |access-date=July 10, 2007}}</ref> <!-- Text at http://boomercafe.typepad.com/boomercafe/2007/06/reflections-on-.html --> They consider themselves a Jewish family (Simon's father was Jewish and his mother was Catholic).<ref name=ChicoNews /><ref name=Hillel />


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 twice bought food there for their daughter Elise. The health of the family was not affected.<ref name=NPR>{{cite web |author=Robert Siegel |title=NPR Host's Lunch in London Intersects Spy Case |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6561762 |publisher=All Things Considered |date=November 30, 2006 |accessdate=July 10, 2007}}</ref>
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.<ref name=NPR>{{cite web |author=Robert Siegel |title=NPR Host's Lunch in London Intersects Spy Case |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6561762 |publisher=All Things Considered |date=November 30, 2006 |access-date=July 10, 2007}}</ref>

⚫
In July 2013, in a groundbreaking use of social media, Simon began [[Twitter|tweeting]] his emotions and conversations with his mother during her last days of life, which she spent in a hospital intensive-care unit. "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''.<ref>{{cite news |author=Carlos Lozada |title=Review of "Unforgettable: A Son, a Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime" by Scott Simon |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/book-party/wp/2015/03/19/after-tweeting-his-mothers-death-nprs-scott-simon-has-written-the-book-of-her-life/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 19, 2015 |accessdate=June 29, 2015}}</ref>

He is the nephew of [[Jack Brickhouse]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.npr.org/2019/04/06/710552541/the-life-of-longtime-cubs-player-ernie-banks | title = The life of longtime Cubs player Ernie Banks | work = NPR}}</ref>


⚫
In July 2013 Simon began [[Twitter|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''.<ref>{{cite news |author=Carlos Lozada |title=Review of "Unforgettable: A Son, a Mother, and the Lessons of a Lifetime" by Scott Simon |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/book-party/wp/2015/03/19/after-tweeting-his-mothers-death-nprs-scott-simon-has-written-the-book-of-her-life/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=March 19, 2015 |access-date=June 29, 2015}}</ref>


[[Jack Brickhouse]], a Chicago broadcaster (1916–1998), was Simon's godfather, whom he referred to as an uncle.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2017/04/07/scott-simon-npr-chicago-cubs | title = Scott Simon On Life With The Cubs And The Manager Who Cursed Out Chicago| date = April 7, 2017}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
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* [https://www.npr.org/people/3874941/scott-simon NPR Biography on Scott Simon]
* [https://www.npr.org/people/3874941/scott-simon NPR Biography on Scott Simon]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090722113943/http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/antisemitism/voices/transcript/?content=20090703 ''Voices on Antisemitism'' Interview with Scott Simon] from the [http://www.ushmm.org/ United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090722113943/http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/antisemitism/voices/transcript/?content=20090703 ''Voices on Antisemitism'' Interview with Scott Simon] from the [http://www.ushmm.org/ United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]
* {{C-SPAN|Scott Simon}}
* {{C-SPAN|13165}}


{{NPR}}
{{NPR}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Scott}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Scott}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
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[[Category:20th-century American journalists]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:21st-century American journalists]]
[[Category:21st-century American memoirists]]
[[Category:American male journalists]]
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[[Category:NPR personalities]]
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[[Category:American people of Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
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[[Category:American male novelists]]
[[Category:Jewish American journalists]]
[[Category:Jewish American journalists]]
[[Category:Journalists from Washington, D.C.]]
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[[Category:NPR personalities]]
[[Category:Novelists from Illinois]]
[[Category:Novelists from Illinois]]
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[[Category:Journalists from Chicago]]

Latest revision as of 18:37, 30 December 2024

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
Simon in 2010
Born (1952-03-16) March 16, 1952 (age 72)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
OccupationRadio presenter
Years active1977–present
EmployerNational Public Radio
Notable creditWeekend Edition Saturday
Spouse
Caroline Richard
​
(m. 2000)​
Children2
WebsiteScottSimonBooks.com

Scott Simon (born March 16, 1952)[1][2] is an American journalist and the host of Weekend Edition Saturday on NPR.

Early life

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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 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

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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] In 2023, he published the audiobook, Swingtime for Hitler, about the Nazis' use of jazz as a propaganda tool during World War II.[12]

Simon has hosted television series and specials, including PBS's Need to Know in 2011–13.[13] 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.[14]

Views

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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."[15] He questioned nonviolence at greater length in the Quaker publication Friends Journal in December 2001,[16] provoking many angry letters, to which he replied in the May 2003 issue.[17] In 2004, Simon criticized Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11 for perceived inaccuracies and what he characterized as an unfairly harsh depiction of the U.S. forces.[18]

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."[19]

Awards

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Simon has won Peabody and Emmy awards, and received many honorary degrees.[13]

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

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As of 2009, 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 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), was Simon's godfather, whom he referred to as an uncle.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lois Smith Brady (September 10, 2000). "Weddings: Vows; Scott Simon and Caroline Richard". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  2. ^ "Annoying Campaign Songs". Weekend Edition Saturday. February 23, 2008. National Public Radio. Audio. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  3. ^ Susan Van Dongen (November 14, 2000). "Three Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Aaron Copland and NPR's Scott Simon". The Princeton Packet. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  4. ^ a b NPR Biography on Scott Simon. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  5. ^ Simon – Family Pictures. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  6. ^ Paula Davenport (October 26, 2008). "Simon Says". The Spokesman-Review.
  7. ^ Terry Gross (August 23, 2010). "Scott Simon's Family: 'In Praise of Adoption'". Fresh Air.
  8. ^ a b c Christine G.K. LaPado-Breglia (May 5, 2011). "NPR Host Scott Simon to Cover Every Beat for Chico Audience". Chico News.
  9. ^ Scott Simon (April 1, 2015). "'We Don't Fully Grow Up' Until We Lose Our Parents". Morning Edition.
  10. ^ Jonathan Alter (May 2000). "Chicago's Cubs". The Washington Monthly. Retrieved July 9, 2007.
  11. ^ "Books". Scott Simon Books=. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  12. ^ Gross, Terry (September 20, 2023). "'Swingtime for Hitler' explores the Nazis use of jazz as a propaganda tool". NPR.
  13. ^ a b "Biography: Scott Simon". NPR. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  14. ^ Scott Simon (November 15, 2014). "In NPR Interview, Bill Cosby Declines to Discuss Assault Allegations". Weekend Edition Saturday.
  15. ^ Janssen, Mike (September 8, 2003). "When reporters sound off, eyebrows rise". Current. Archived from the original on January 24, 2004.
  16. ^ Simon, Scott (December 1, 2001). "Reflections on the Events of September 11". Friends Journal.
  17. ^ Simon, Scott (May 1, 2003). "To Friends Journal Readers: A Response". Friends Journal.
  18. ^ Simon, Scott (July 27, 2004). "'Gonzo Demagoguery' Writ Large". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  19. ^ Simon, Scott. "Opinion: What The Death Of A 7-Year-Old Migrant Says About This Country". NPR.org. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  20. ^ "2010 Honorary Degrees", Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters & CLA Commencement Speaker, Willamette University.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ Schwartzman, Paul (September 7, 2009). "What Washingtonians Make". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  23. ^ Scott Simon (November 27, 2004). "Cat and Child, So Comfy Together". Weekend Edition. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ "Scott Simon Releases First Novel: Pretty Birds", WKAR, August 30, 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  26. ^ Scott Simon (June 30, 2007). "Reflections on Welcoming a New Family Member". Weekend Edition. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  27. ^ Robert Siegel (November 30, 2006). "NPR Host's Lunch in London Intersects Spy Case". All Things Considered. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ "Scott Simon On Life With The Cubs And The Manager Who Cursed Out Chicago". April 7, 2017.
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