Arthur Simon (July 28, 1930 – November 14, 2023) was an American Lutheran minister, founder and president of Bread for the World, a citizens' lobby on hunger, which he served for almost two decades.[1]
Arthur Simon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 28, 1930 Eugene, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | November 14, 2023 (aged 93) |
| Education | Dana College (Blair, Nebraska) Concordia Seminary (St. Louis, Missouri) |
| Relatives | Paul Simon (brother) |
| Church | Lutheran Church |
| Ordained | 1959 |
| Writings | Silence Can Kill: Speaking Up to End Hunger and Make Our Economy Work for Everyone ISBN 978-0-8028-7747-5; Bread for the World ISBN 0-8091-2670-2; The Politics of World Hunger (with Paul Simon) ISBN 0-06-127776-2; How Much Is Enough? Hungering for God in an Affluent Culture ISBN 0-8010-6408-2; Faces of Poverty ISBN 978-0020894001; Harvesting Peace: The Arms Race and Human Need ISBN 1-55612-352-3 Grace at the Table: Ending Hunger in God’s World (with David Beckmann) ISBN 0-8091-3866-2 |
Congregations served | Pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church, Lower East Side, Manhattan (NYC) |
Offices held | [Director, Washington Office], Christian Children's Fund (Washington) President emeritus, Bread for the World |
| Title | Reverend |
Life and career
editArthur Simon was born in Eugene, Oregon on July 28, 1930.[2] He was a graduate of Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, and Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.[2] He was an ordained Lutheran minister. His brother was United States Senator Paul Simon (D-IL). He pastored at Trinity Lutheran Church on New York City's Lower East Side from 1961 to 1972. As a pastor, Simon became involved in responding to emergencies associated with hunger and poverty. Wanting to address the root causes of hunger, Simon formed a committee of seven Catholics and seven Protestants in 1974 called Bread for the World. He became Bread's first president, holding the position for sixteen years.[3] After retiring from Bread, he directed the Washington Office of the Christian Children's Fund from 1992 to 1997.[1][3]
His book Bread for the World won the national Religious Book Award, and was described by the Nobel Prize economist Gunnar Myrdal as a "clear and convincing" analysis of world hunger.[1] His most recent book is Silence Can Kill: Speaking Up to End Hunger and Make our Economy Work for Everyone. In 2009 he published The Rising of Bread for the World: An Outcry of Citizens Against Hunger. Prior to that, he authored, with David Beckmann, Grace at the Table: Ending Hunger in God’s World. His previous books include Faces of Poverty and Harvesting Peace: The Arms Race and Human Need. He has also had articles published in many national newspapers and journals.[4]
Simon received a number of awards and honorary degrees, including the Presidential Hunger Award for Lifetime Achievement. He has served on the advisory board for the Center for Public Justice.[4] He was the 35th recipient the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award in 2004. The honor was named after a 1963 encyclical letter, Pacem in terris (Peace on Earth), by Pope John XXIII that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations.[2]
Simon died at his Maryland home on November 14, 2023, at the age of 93.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c Profile Archived October 7, 2008, at the Wayback Machine: Southern Illinois University Carbondale website.
- ^ a b c Biodata Archived April 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine: St. Ambrose University (Davenport, Iowa) website
- ^ a b "Bread Mourns the Passing of Founder Rev. Art Simon". Bread for the World. November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
- ^ a b Further profile: Center for Public Justice website.
- ^ Smietana, Bob; Banks, Adelle M. (November 17, 2023). "Art Simon, founder of Christian anti-hunger group Bread for the World, dies at 93". Religion News Service. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
External links
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