#VeteranOfTheDay John R. Simpson

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran John R. Simpson.

John was born in Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts, in 1932. He graduated from Loyola College in Montreal with a bachelor’s degree in commerce and held a Doctor of Jurisprudence from New England School of Law. He was also a graduate of the National War College in Washington, D.C.

John served in the U.S. Army and, following his service, began a career with the U.S. Secret Service in 1962 as a special agent in the Boston Field Office.  Prior to becoming the 16th director of the U.S. Secret Service, John served many other protective, investigative and supervisory positions, including the Presidential Protective Division for President Ronald Reagan.

From 1984 to 1988, John served as the first American president of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). During his tenure he directed several major programs for INTERPOL and worked with the 142-member countries to combat the growing threat of international crime.

John retired from the Secret Service in 1992, having served under Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.

A longtime sports enthusiast, John was a devoted Boston Red Sox fan. He also enjoyed following the DeMatha Catholic High School sports teams and loved to watch his grandchildren’s youth sports teams.

John passed away on February 10, 2017. We honor his service.

Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? You’re in luck! VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much of the information as you can put together with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating for how to create the best submission.