Zack Quaintance
Daily Egyptian
TROY - A few yards behind a gas station, across from a gravel road and
in the same strip mall as a car parts store, the U.S. Sen. Paul Simon
Museum sits ready for anyone wanting to remember a Southern Illinois
icon.
At Saturday morning's ribbon cutting, the museum was packed. The crowd
ranged from Troy locals who remembered how exciting it was watching
Simon run for president, to politicians who worked with him in
congress.
Troy Alderman Darrell Hampsten is the unofficial curator. With $6,000
from the city's hotel-motel tax fund and a committee of 12 volunteers,
Hampsten was able to collect all kinds of Simon-related items.
"We've had quite a few donations and we hope to get even more," Hampsten said.
After officials cut a yellow ribbon with a big black and white bow tie,
Simon's trademark, the crowd hurried out of the heat and into the
air-conditioned museum. As they snacked on bow tie shaped cookies,
museum-goers started to talk about Simon.
When Simon was the state's lieutenant governor, the people in Troy knew
his car by the license plates it sported with only the number two on
them.
"I used to see his car at the post office," a woman said, as a small group nodded while looking at the plates.
"I used to cut his grass," said Alan Dunston, the Madison County board chairman. Heads slowly turned to look at Dunston.
"Well, you are a famous person," the woman said. Dunston and the rest of the crowd laughed.
Simon came to Troy when he was 19 and took over the dying Troy Tribune.
The paper is still around today as the Troy Times-Tribune.
"He did a lot of things in the county and he was against corruption,"
said Mae Grapperhaus, editor of the Troy Times-Tribune. "He was an all
around nice man. He never forgot Troy."
Grapperhaus was not at the paper when Simon was the boss, but she said
he often stopped and said hello. Simon made a lot of trips between his
house in Makanda and Collinsville, where he had family, Grapperhaus
said.
Simon was widely considered Southern Illinois's most recognizable
politician. In Makanda there is a water tower painted with a smiley
face and bow tie in honor of Simon's favorite piece of clothing.
Carbondale named its federal building after the senator in 2004. Many
in attendance said his progressive politics and strong commitment to
religion made him a bi-partisan candidate the whole region could look
up to.
During his 47-year long political career, Simon served terms as a state
representative, state senator, Illinois lieutenant governor and U.S.
senator.
In 1997, Simon took a job at SIUC. He founded the Paul Simon Public
Policy Institute, now run by former associate director and long-time
Simon friend Mike Lawrence. Simon died in 2003, and the institute was
named after him in February.
Lawrence's assistant, Pam Gwaltney, came to the ribbon cutting to
donate an institute coffee mug and a couple pictures of Simon. Lawrence
talked about Simon's importance during a phone conversation Sunday.
"He had a tremendous impact on the University," Lawrence said. "He
supported higher education while he was in the U.S. house, and later in
the Senate. He then established the Public Policy Institute, which has
received national and international attention."
He also said, "I can't think of anyone who could have founded the
institute and gotten it off to such a great start. He really hit the
ground running."
The institute has looked at state campaign finance reform, been the
first to examine the mass genocide in Rwanda, and helped to provide
dental care to young people in need, Lawrence said. The institute will
continue to serve the University for a long time, he added.
Organizers hope the museum will be long-term as well. Hampsten has an
e-mail address for people to send Simon memories to. The goal is to
compile a book of stories about the senator, Hampsten said.
A woman from Cairo sent a memory of Simon as lieutenant governor trying
to mediate the race riots that hit her hometown during the civil rights
movement.
"She said it was really memorable to see an important white man who
cared enough to show his support of African Americans," Hampsten said.
The museum's current home - sharing a parking lot with a Phillips 66
gas station and being one window over from a motor oil display - is
hopefully only temporary, Hampsten said.
"Hopefully this will start getting the word out that there is a space to remember Paul Simon," he said.
Reporter Zack Quaintance can be reached at
zack_quaintance@dailyegyptian.com.
The U.S. Sen. Paul Simon Museum is located at 800 S. Main St.
in Troy. Hours: 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on
Saturdays. Memories of Paul Simon can be emailed to
troyrememberspaulsimon@yahoo.com.
