Margaret Simms facts for kids

Margaret Constance Simms (born in 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American economist. Her work focuses on how to improve the economic well-being of African Americans.

She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in economics, from Carleton College in 1967. Later, she earned her MA (1969) and PhD (1974) from Stanford University.

Simms has done important research. She has also held leadership jobs at places like the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and the Urban Institute. She has also advised the U.S. government on important policies.

In 2009, she received the Samuel Z. Westerfield Award. This award honors the achievements of African-American economists. She was only the second woman to receive it.

Margaret Simms's Early Life and Education

Margaret C. Simms was born in 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri. She grew up there with two older brothers. Her parents had both gone to college. Many of her relatives were also academics, working at different universities.

Margaret went to a school where Black and white students were kept separate until 5th grade. Her middle and high schools were integrated, meaning students of all races attended together. At her high school, most teachers were white. They did not always encourage Black students to go to college.

Despite this, Margaret went to Carleton College in Minnesota. This was a liberal school. Students there strongly supported the civil rights movement. When she started, there were only four Black students out of about 1,400. About 40% of the students were women.

Margaret first planned to study chemistry or physics. She was good at these subjects in high school. But she found them hard to connect to real life jobs. So, she decided to try other subjects. She became interested in economics after taking some required classes. In the economics department, all her professors were white. Only one other economics major was Black. Some professors and 20% of economics students were women. Being a female economist was not seen as unusual. Margaret graduated with her BA in economics in 1967.

After her junior year, Margaret joined a program to help more diverse people work in the U.S. Foreign Service. This program offered a year of graduate school with financial help. This encouraged Margaret to apply for graduate school.

After college, Margaret moved to California. She started her PhD in economics at Stanford University. She was the only African American student there. She was also one of only a few women. Before her, only one African American had finished Stanford's economics PhD program. No woman had completed it. Margaret did not have mentors in her department. She felt the environment was not very supportive.

During her first year at Stanford, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. This event and the riots that followed made her change her focus. She decided to work on issues and policies within the United States. She earned her MA in 1969 and her PhD in 1974.

Margaret Simms's Career

Teaching and Research

Before finishing her PhD, Simms started teaching at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Then, she taught for several years at Atlanta University. This was a historically Black college and university. It is now called Clark-Atlanta University. Here, she found mentors through the Caucus of Black Economists. This group later became the National Economic Association. She also gained experience as the head of the economics department. Simms taught at Atlanta University from 1972 to 1981.

In 1977, she joined a program at the Brookings Institution. She worked at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This department helps with housing and city development. She returned to Atlanta University for a year. In 1979, she moved to Washington, D.C. to work at The Urban Institute.

Research and Policy Work

From 1979 to 1986, Simms did research at The Urban Institute. She started as a senior research associate. She later became the program director for the Minorities and Social Policy Program. Here, she researched the well-being of Americans. She also advised government leaders based on her research.

She then moved to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (JCPES). This was from 1986 to 2007. It was a leading "think tank" for African American policy. A think tank is a group that does research and suggests ideas for government policies. She was hired as the deputy director of research. The Joint Center helps Black candidates get elected. It also provides resources for them once they are in office. Now, it helps discuss policies that improve Black communities. During her time there, she was the first woman vice president of governance and economic analysis. She also served as vice president for research. She was even interim president of the whole organization for a time.

In 2007, Simms returned to The Urban Institute. She became an institute fellow and director of the Low Income Working Families Project. From 2007 to 2018, she led a team. This team studied why some American families struggle financially. They looked at families living below 200% of the federal poverty level. They also made policy suggestions to help these families. She retired as director in 2018. However, she still works with The Urban Institute as a non-resident fellow.

Impact of Margaret Simms's Work

Margaret Simms has had many roles. These include teaching and research. But she feels her biggest impact has been in building important organizations. Especially those that help Black communities.

In 1979, she was the president of the National Economic Association. She helped reorganize the group, making it stronger. She also edited The Review of Black Political Economy for five years. This is the National Economic Association's scholarly journal. She made it more financially stable. She also set up a regular publishing schedule.

As vice president for research at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, she started a new planning process. She has also served on many boards and committees. These include the Institute for Women's Policy Research.

Throughout her career, Simms has advised many government and non-profit groups. She helped them create policies to close gaps that disadvantage minorities. In 1978, she advised The National Urban League. This group helps Black Americans gain economic power. In 1979, she advised the United States National Institute of Education. This group published ideas for improving education across the country. More recently, she has advised the United States Department of State. She also advised the Peter G Peterson Foundation and the Russell Sage Foundation. She served on committees that developed policy ideas for the government.

Awards and Honors

Margaret Simms has received many awards and honors for her work. In 2005, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was also elected to the National Academy of Social Insurance.

In 2009, she received the Samuel Z. Westerfield Award. This award is given by the National Economic Association. It honors African American economists for their public service and scholarly work. Simms was the second woman to receive this award. She was recognized for her excellent contributions to research, leadership, and service.

In 2010, her old college, Carleton College, gave her an Honorary Doctors of Laws Degree. In 2019, she was elected as a fellow to the National Academy of Public Administration.