Dolph C. Simons

Dolph C. Simons Jr. (born 1930) is an American journalist, publisher, and media executive. He is best known for his work with the Lawrence Journal-World and the World Company. A respected figure in the Kansas newspaper industry, Simons has received numerous accolades, including induction into the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Clyde M. Reed Jr. Master Editor Award in 1997.

Early life and education Dolph C. Simons Jr. was born into a family with a long history in the newspaper business. His grandfather, W.C. Simons, founded the World Company in 1891. His father, Dolph C. Simons Sr., was a prominent newspaperman. He attended Lawrence High School and later graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Kansas in 1951. He then returned to his family's newspaper business in Lawrence, working in various capacities at the World Company and the Lawrence Journal-World. He eventually became the editor of the Journal-World and, later, its publisher. Under his leadership, the newspaper was firmly committed to community journalism and local news coverage.

In 1979, Allen Neuharth sought distributors for a new daily national newspaper called USA Today. Simons Jr. told Neuharth, "If you want to have a print site in the middle of the U.S., I'd love to have a shot at it". The newspaper page design was done in northern Virginia and sent via satellite at 10:30 PM to Lawrence to be distributed each morning from Des Moines, Iowa to Oklahoma. and the American Newspaper Publishers Association. In 2004, he was inducted into the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame, cementing his status as a leading figure in the state's newspaper industry.

Personal life Dolph C. Simons Jr. is married and has four children.