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UNIVERSITY BENEFACTOR WILLIAM SIMON DIESFormer Secretary of the Treasury William E. Simon, financial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and life trustee of the University, died Saturday, June 3, in Santa Barbara, California, from pulmonary fibrosis. He was 72."William E. Simon's extensive contributions to the University, extending beyond the Simon School to the University generally and including his role as a University trustee, have earned him a deserved and permanent place in the University's history," said President Jackson. Simon became the chief benefactor of the University's Graduate School of Management 15 years ago, citing a shared belief in the entrepreneurial, free-market principles espoused by the school. He led a $30 million fundraising campaign to bolster its endowment, personally raising $15 million through his own donations and from outside organizations. The school was renamed the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration on November 6, 1986. Following a 20-year career in finance, Simon left private business for government service in 1972, becoming the country's "energy czar" during a period of gasoline shortages and high oil prices. He later served as Treasury Secretary during the Nixon and Ford administrations. Returning to the world of business in 1976, he invested in successful leveraged buyouts, later building a network of financial institutions on the West Coast and the Pacific Rim.
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