{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = W. Timothy Simms | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|04|09}} | birth_place = Morrison, Illinois | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = <!-- political --> | office = Member of the Illinois Senate<br>from the 34th district | term_start = {{start date|1980|12}} | term_end = {{end date|1983|01}} | preceded = Lynn Morley Martin | succeeded = Joyce Holmberg | office2 = Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 34th district | term_start2 = {{start date|1971|01}} | term_end2 = {{end date|1980|12}} | predecessor2 = David Johnson | successor2 = James Kelley
<!-- personal --> | party = Republican | spouse = Jane | children = Five | alma_mater = Parsons College<br>Worsham College | profession = Funeral Director }}
'''W. Timothy Simms''' (born April 9, 1943) is a former Republican member of the Illinois General Assembly, representing the 34th District from 1971 to 1983.<ref name="1981 BIO">{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Illinois Blue Book 1981-1982|chapter= Biographical Sketch of W. Timothy Simms |url=http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/ref/collection/bb/id/36059|location=Springfield, Illinois|publisher=Illinois Secretary of State|page=136|date=|isbn=}}</ref>
==Career== Simms was born April 9, 1943, in Morrison, Illinois. He was educated at Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa, and the Worsham College of Mortuary Science. At age 23, he was elected to the City Council in Rockford, Illinois. From 1966 to 1976, Simms' served as both a precinct committeeman and alderman for the second ward of Rockford, Illinois.<ref name="1981 BIO" />
In 1970, Simms was elected to represent the 34th District in the Illinois House of Representatives. During his first term in office, Simms sponsored the United States' first prescription drug labeling law,<ref>'Drug Label O.K.'d,' '''Chicago Tribune,''' Chicago Tribune Press Service, April 14, 1971</ref> and was assigned to the General Assembly's Legislative Investigative Commission, where he served until 1983.<ref name="1981 BIO" />
Owing to his early success in both politics and business, Simms was selected as 1 of 20 Outstanding Young Men of America in 1970 by the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce.<ref name="1981 BIO" />
After being elected to serve a sixth term in the House of Representatives, one of which saw him serve as House Minority Whip,<ref name="1975 Officers">{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Illinois Blue Book 1975-1976|chapter= Officers of the House |url=http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/ref/collection/bb/id/36716|location=Springfield, Illinois|publisher=Illinois Secretary of State|page=67|date=|isbn=}}</ref> Simms was appointed by the 34th District Republican Legislative Committee to fill the vacancy left when Lynn Morley Martin was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Illinois's 16th congressional district. The committee then chose James Kelley to the Illinois House of Representatives to replace Simms.<ref>{{cite journal|editor-last=Gherardini|editor-first=Caroline|title=Appointments to the General Assembly|journal=Illinois Issues|volume=7|number=2|page=31|publisher=Sangamon State University|access-date=August 16, 2021|url=https://www.lib.niu.edu/1981/ii810230.html}}</ref> In the 1982 general election, Simms lost to Joyce Holmberg.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Legislative Action: Dems win big: Madigan wins bigger|journal=Illinois Issues|publisher=Illinois Periodicals Online|url=http://www.lib.niu.edu/1982/ii821230.html|date=December 1982|access-date=2014-03-28}}</ref>
Following his career in the Illinois General Assembly, Simms became a two-time delegate for Ronald Reagan,<ref>'Reagan Delegates,' '''Chicago Tribune,''' Chicago Tribune Press Service, March 17, 1980</ref> and served as president of the Illinois Funeral Directors Association.<ref name="Funeral">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/23/us/chicago-journal-new-funeral-option-for-those-in-a-rush.html |title=New Funeral Option For Those in a Rush |publisher=Chicago Journal |date=1993-02-23}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simms, W. Timothy}} Category:Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Category:1943 births Category:Republican Party Illinois state senators Category:Politicians from Rockford, Illinois Category:Living people Category:20th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly