Beloved GOP Senator Passes Away – Constituents Mourn
Al Simpson, affectionately known as the “gentle giant” of the U.S. Senate, has passed away at the age of 93. Simpson represented Wyoming for 18 years before choosing not to seek reelection in 1998.
Standing at 6 feet 7 inches tall, Alan K. Simpson passed away on Friday morning, leaving a lasting impact on the political landscape he influenced for decades. Since his election in 1978, he inspired countless Republican activists and politicians, contributing to Texas becoming an even deeper shade of red than it was during the Reagan era.
“Today, our state and country mourn the passing of our dear Senator Alan Kooi Simpson,” U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) shared in a statement to Cowboy State Daily. “Al was larger than life and spent his entire life working on behalf of the state and people he loved. For 18 years in the U.S. Senate, 12 years in the Wyoming House of Representatives, and 28 years as an elder statesman, he worked to make Wyoming a better place for our citizens and an even greater place to work and raise a family.”
“There was no stronger advocate for the needs, industries, and interests of Wyoming. During his Senate tenure, he was repeatedly elected by his colleagues to serve in leadership as the Republican whip and was a close friend of both President Reagan and President Bush.”
Simpson spent his final days at the Spirit Mountain Hospice House in Cody, his hometown, after facing severe circulation issues in his feet and legs.
Born on September 2, 1931, Simpson belonged to the Silent Generation and was the son of Milward Simpson, a former Governor and U.S. Senator. His early years were turbulent until he enlisted in the United States Army after completing his education at the University of Wyoming. He had previously admitted to rebellious behavior in his youth.
“It was the first time in my life that I couldn’t bullshit my way out of anything,” Simpson remarked in an interview last summer. “They have a way of doing that in the Army.”
After his military service, he earned a law degree and passed the bar in 1958. Returning to Cody, he managed his father’s successful 1962 Senate campaign, leveraging his deep political connections.
From 1965 to 1977, Simpson served in the Wyoming state legislature, gaining experience in bipartisan cooperation when Republicans were the minority. This period laid the groundwork for his eventual rise to the U.S. Senate.
“I watched him over 40-some years of friendship,” said Rob Wallace, a longtime friend and former assistant secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. “He had that unusual ability to walk into a room with strangers and walk out an hour later with everybody thinking they just made a new best friend.”
During his Senate tenure, Simpson held leadership roles, serving as Senate Majority Whip from 1985 to 1987 and Senate Minority Whip from 1987 to 1995.
He frequently expressed deep gratitude to his wife of 70 years, Ann, and their three children.
“She’s my world, it’s that simple,” Simpson once said.
For his epitaph, Simpson hoped to be remembered with the words: “You would’ve wanted him on your side.”