Former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson and his brother Peter, a University of Wyoming professor, will give talks in Boulder and Denver Nov. 11-12 as distinguished lecturers of the CU-Boulder Center of the American West.
"High Plains Politics: A Dialogue with the Simpson Brothers of Wyoming," will be presented from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 11 in the Boulder Public Library Auditorium, 11th Street and Arapahoe Avenue, and from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the Denver Public Library, 10 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, in the lower level B2 conference room.
Both talks are free and open to the public. The lectures are co-sponsored by the Boulder Public Library Foundation and the Denver Public Library.
The Simpson brothers will address the concept of political identity. For the past three years they have team taught a popular class at the University of Wyoming that challenges their students and themselves to define Wyoming's political identity.
Alan Simpson has an insider's view of regional and national politics, while his brother Peter combines political experience with an academic background in history and political science. With help from the audience, the brothers propose "to identify some commonalities between Wyoming and Colorado and discuss their impact on contemporary political behavior in the Rocky Mountain West," Peter Simpson said.
"Whether or not you agree with them politically, Al and Pete Simpson are treasure troves of Western wit and folklore," said CU-Boulder history Professor Patricia Limerick, chair of the Center of the American West. "Anybody who claims to know the West, needs to know the Simpsons."
Alan Simpson served 13 years in the Wyoming House of Representatives followed by three terms as U.S. senator from his initial election in 1978 until 1997. From January 1998 through June 2000 he was director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Starting in fall 2000 he returned to UW as a lecturer in the political science department.
Alan Simpson also is a partner in the Cody, Wyo., and Denver law firm of Burg, Simpson, Eldredge and Hersh. He is the author of "Right in the Old Gazoo: A Lifetime of Scrapping with the Press," which chronicles his personal experiences and views of the news media.
Peter Simpson is the Distinguished Simpson Professor of Political Science at UW and the university's vice president emeritus for institutional advancement. He earned his doctorate in history from the University of Oregon, where he also taught and was a recipient of the University of Oregon Outstanding Teaching Program Award. He served two terms in the Wyoming House of Representatives and was the Republican nominee for governor in 1986.
Both the Simpsons grew up in Cody, Wyo., and both attended UW. Their father, Milward, was governor of Wyoming from 1954 to 1958 and served in the U.S. Senate from 1962 to 1966.
The mission of the CU-Boulder Center of the American West is to explore the distinctive character and issues of the region and to help Westerners become well-informed, participating citizens in their communities.
For information call the CU-Boulder Center of the American West at (303) 492-4879 or visit http://www.centerwest.org.