Robert E. Simon

Robert E. "Bob" Simon, Jr. (April 10, 1914 – September 21, 2015) was an American real estate entrepreneur, most known for founding the community of Reston, Virginia.[2][3][4] He was the maternal uncle of feminist historian and writer Elizabeth Fox-Genovese.[5]

Robert E. Simon
Born
Robert E. Simon, Jr.

(1914-04-10)April 10, 1914
New York City, New York, U.S.
Died September 21, 2015(2015-09-21) (aged 101) [1]
Reston, Virginia, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
CitizenshipAmerican
EducationHorace Mann School
Alma materHarvard University (1931-1935)
OccupationReal estate entrepreneur
Years active1946-2015
Known forFounding Reston, Virginia
Home townReston, Virginia
Parent(s)Robert E. Simon, Sr.

Early life

Simon was born in New York City in 1914[6] to a family that immigrated from Germany.[7][8] Robert was raised in Manhattan along with his siblings.

Reston

After graduating from Harvard University, Simon took over the family real estate management and development business. In 1961, with the proceeds from the sale of a family property, Carnegie Hall, Simon purchased 6,750 acres (27 km²) of land in Fairfax County, Virginia and hired Conklin + Rossant[9] to develop a master plan for the new town of Reston, Virginia, a planned community well known on the national level. (The town's name was derived from Simon's initials and the word "town".)[4][10] Simon's new town concept emphasized quality of life for the individual and provided a community where people could live, work, and play without driving long distances.

Simon returned to live in an apartment near Lake Anne in Reston in 1993[10] and helped celebrate Reston's 40th birthday in 2004.[11] In that same year a bronze statue of Simon was placed on a park bench in Washington Plaza on Lake Anne, the original heart of the community he built.[4][11]

A collection of Simon's donated materials is housed at the Specials Collections Research Center at the George Mason University Libraries.

References
  1. http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2015/sep/22/robert-e-simon-101-reston-founder-dies/
  2. McFadden, Robert D. (September 21, 2015). "Robert E. Simon Jr., Who Created a Town, Reston, Va., Dies at 101". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  3. Morello, Carol (March 25, 2004). "At Home With His Creation". Washington Post. p. T8.
  4. "A Brief History of Reston". RestonMuseum.org. Reston Historic Trust. Retrieved 2013-06-30. Original work: Gulf Reston, Inc (1970). A Brief History of Reston, Virginia.
  5. Fox and Simon Family Papers, 1862–1991, UNC.
  6. "House Joint Resolution No. 1009, Commending Robert E. Simon". Commonwealth of Virginia. February 28, 2009. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  7. "Douglas Ambrose", Christendom review, 1 (2).
  8. "Fox‐Genovese, Elizabeth Ann", Encyclopedia - Jrank, J rank.
  9. "James Rossant - Architect". December 17, 2005. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  10. McKeon, Nancy (August 16, 1999). "A Town Grows in Fairfax". Washington Post. p. A1. Retrieved 2013-06-30.
  11. "Reston Celebrates 40 Years!". Myers Public Relations. April 14, 2004. Retrieved 2013-06-30.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.