Education
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Simon graduated from Barat College and received her law degree from Northwestern University School of Law.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Simon graduated from Barat College and received her law degree from Northwestern University School of Law.
She was admitted to the Illinois bar and practiced law. In recognition of her lifelong advocacy of libraries and literacy, President Bill Clinton appointed her in 1993 and 1997 to two terms as chairperson of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, in which she served until her death from brain cancer on February 20, 2000, at the age of 77, at her home, in Makanda, Illinois.