[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 13844-13845]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO DAVID YEPSEN

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I want to take a few moments to 
acknowledge David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy 
Institute at Southern Illinois University, SIU. Earlier this year, 
David announced that he would be retiring in late October.
  Prior to joining the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU, David 
was a political writer, editor, and columnist. He spent over three 
decades at the Des Moines Register. If you have a passion for covering 
politics, like David Yepsen does, there is no better place to be. Every 
4 years, the political class descends on Iowa, and no one takes this 
more seriously than Iowans. Iowans and politicos fill churches, 
community centers, schools, libraries, and homes on cold winter nights 
to talk politics with friends and neighbors. At the center of this 
political three-ring circus is the Des Moines Register, and for nine 
Presidential campaign cycles, that meant David Yepsen.
  It should come as no surprise that David has had a lifelong interest 
in politics. In high school, he was elected student body president, 
governor of the Iowa American Legion's Boys' State program, and U.S. 
senator in the group's Boys Nation program.
  David Yepsen is ``Mr. Iowa.'' Born in Jefferson, IA, David graduated 
from the University of Iowa, studied journalism and mass communications 
at Iowa State University, and earned a masters in public administration 
from Drake University in Des Moines. In 1977, David became a Statehouse 
reporter for the Des Moines Register. And in 1983, he got his big break 
becoming the Des Moines Register's chief political reporter. He was 
later named political editor and, in 2000, was promoted to full-time 
political columnist.
  In 1997, after retiring from the U.S. Senate, Paul Simon established 
a public policy institute at Southern Illinois University. When it 
first opened, the institute was considered a think tank by many, but 
not by Paul Simon. He called it a ``do tank.'' In 2009, David Yepsen 
became director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, and under 
his leadership, it was exactly that. Throughout the years, he has 
organized countless events--including a ``pizza and politics'' 
program--encouraging students on campus to get involved in politics and 
government. David never lost sight of Paul Simon's vision and always 
searched for ways the institute could educate the public and even 
influence Washington, DC. He was always looking for opportunities to 
take the institute to the next level.
  Although Senator Paul Simon never saw David Yepsen lead his 
institute, it was clear what he thought of him and the job he would do. 
In 1988, when Senator Simon ran for the Democratic nomination to be 
President of the United States, he praised David's objectivity. He 
said: ``Every four years the chief political reporter for the Des 
Moines Register becomes the most important reporter in the nation. It 
is a position that could cause vanity and abuse. To his credit, David 
Yepsen handled this position with sensitivity and balance. And he 
worked hard.'' That is high praise, but well deserved.
  Some of the best advice I have received is from Senator Paul Simon. 
He used to say that ``when people disagree with my vote I want them to 
say that it's because I'm ignorant or stupid, not because I'm greedy or 
making money.'' With his credentials and years at the Des Moines 
Register, David had plenty of opportunities to cash in on his success 
and make money, but instead, he chose to take a job as director of the 
Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU in Carbondale, IL. Paul Simon 
would have been proud.
  I want to congratulate David Yepsen on his distinguished career and 
thank him for continuing the outstanding work started by Senator Paul 
Simon at Southern Illinois University. I especially want to thank 
David's wife, Dr. Mary Stuart, and daughter Elizabeth

[[Page 13845]]

for sharing so much of their husband and father with the Paul Simon 
Public Policy Institute at SIU. I wish him and his family all the best.

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