Sam Simon
The brilliant, tempestuous creative force who helped shape The Simpsons' early genius, then channeled his wealth and passion into saving animals.
1955–2015 (age 60)·American television writer and producer·Birthday: June 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Sam Simon was a television savant with a Midas touch for comedy and a notoriously difficult personality. Hired as a writer on 'Taxi' in his twenties, he quickly rose to become a showrunner, his sharp mind for structure and character defining some of the era's best sitcoms. His legacy was sealed when he partnered with Matt Groening and James L. Brooks to develop 'The Simpsons.' Simon was the operational mastermind in those formative seasons, building the writers' room, refining the characters' voices, and insisting on the show's emotional heart beneath the jokes. He walked away from the show after four seasons, taking a lucrative financial stake that would fund the rest of his life. That life transformed into a second act of profound philanthropy. He used his fortune to found the Sam Simon Foundation, which rescues and trains shelter dogs, provides vegan meals to families in need, and funds aggressive animal rights campaigns. He died of cancer, but not before giving away his entire fortune, ensuring his complicated legacy would be one of extraordinary, targeted compassion.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Sam was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sam Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Sam's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Co-developed the animated series 'The Simpsons' and served as its creative supervisor during its foundational early seasons.
- Won nine Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on shows including 'Taxi,' 'Cheers,' and 'The Simpsons.'
- Founded the Sam Simon Foundation, which rescues dogs from shelters and trains them as service animals for veterans.
- Donated the majority of his wealth to animal rights and welfare causes before his death.
Did You Know?
He was a champion poker player, winning a gold bracelet at the 1977 World Series of Poker in a seven-card stud event.
Simon owned a 7-acre Malibu property that he turned into a sanctuary for rescued animals.
He financed the Sea Shepherd conservation society's vessel, the MV Sam Simon.
Despite his pivotal role, he left 'The Simpsons' in 1993 over creative differences but continued to receive royalties.
“The fun of animation is you can do anything; the hard part is making it funny.”
