William Edward Simon (November 27, 1927 – June 3, 2000) was a businessman, a Secretary of Treasury of the U.S. for three years, and a philanthropist. He became the 63rd Secretary of the Treasury on May 8, 1974, during the Nixon administration. He was reappointed by President Ford and served until 1977. Outside of government, he was a successful businessman and philanthropist. The William E. Simon Foundation carries on this legacy. He was a strong...
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William Edward Simon (November 27, 1927 – June 3, 2000) was a businessman, a Secretary of Treasury of the U.S. for three years, and a philanthropist. He became the 63rd Secretary of the Treasury on May 8, 1974, during the Nixon administration. He was reappointed by President Ford and served until 1977. Outside of government, he was a successful businessman and philanthropist. The William E. Simon Foundation carries on this legacy. He was a strong advocate of laissez-faire capitalism. He wrote, "There is only one social system that reflects the sovereignty of the individual: the free-market, or capitalist, system."
In August, he was asked to continue to serve at Treasury by President Gerald R. Ford, Jr., who shortly afterward appointed him Chairman of the Economic Policy Board and chief spokesman for the administration on economic issues.
On April 8, 1975, President Ford also named him Chairman of the newly created East-West Foreign Trade Board, established under the authority of the...
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