James Simmons

Dr. James Simmons (1946-2023) was a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at UW Oshkosh, where he taught from Fall 1989 through his retirement in 2020. Dr. Simmons held many leadership roles on campus, including three terms as president of the Faculty Senate, chair of the political science department from 1999 to 2011, and Chancellor’s Leadership Fellow. While at UWO, he received numerous awards for his scholarship, for his service and his teaching, he was recognized for his success in advising students, and he supported seven student organizations, covering the range of political persuasions.

Dr. Simmons received his doctorate in political science from Indiana University. Prior to completing his education, he served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972, ending his service as a legal specialist – JAG Corps at Fort McPherson in Georgia – where he was deeply involved in handling documents associated with the My Lai Trials. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.

Knowing the importance of education, Dr. Simmons established the Dr. Joan L. Simmons Scholarship endowment in memory of his wife, Joan, so that her memory lives on forever through other teachers.

Dr. Joan Simmons was a tenured associate professor and former chair of the Department of Literacy and Language at the UW Oshkosh when she passed away in 2015. Joan began her teaching career as a middle school language arts teacher. She was a dedicated public school teacher for 21 years. She earned her doctorate from Indiana University and worked for UW-Green Bay before joining the faculty at UW Oshkosh. She was a literacy professor at UW Oshkosh from 1997 to 2015 and was also a frequent presenter at national conventions for the College Reading Association and International Reading Association.

Joan loved getting future teachers from other disciplines, especially art, music, and physical education, excited about integrating reading and writing in their classrooms. She took great pride in her hands-on tutoring clinical courses in which she always celebrated the growth of her graduate students and the K-12 students they served. Her contributions will be missed.