The Alan K. Simpson Institute for Western Politics and Leadership

American Heritage Center

The Alan K. Simpson Institute for Western Politics and Leadership is a program of the American Heritage Center focusing on the acquisition, preservation, and research use of the papers of prominent individuals, businesses, and organizations that have provided leadership – political, economic, social, and cultural – for Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain West.

Via its programs, the Institute facilitates the study of the roles and impacts of these individuals and groups that have put their stamp on this area. While the Institute’s emphasis is regional, the scope of the program includes a focus on national issues that impact the West.

The Simpson Institute was created in 2000 when Julienne Michel contributed $500,000 to the University of Wyoming as “seed” money and pledged a $1 million estate gift to endow the Institute’s permanent operations. Michel was a UW benefactor and friend of former U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson and his wife, Ann.

To learn more about business and political leadership in Wyoming and the region, please view the AHC's Business Collections and Politics and Public Affairs Collections pages.

Video: Breaking the Boom and Bust Cycle in Wyoming

Breaking the Boom and Bust Cycle in Wyoming: Viewpoints from Southeast Wyoming

The AHC’s Simpson Institute and Laramie County Community College collaborated on a discussion event on April 18, 2019, that focused on Southeast Wyoming’s perspectives regarding Wyoming’s economic future. The event was moderated by retired historian and politician Pete Simpson and featured Wyoming state representatives Sara Burlingame, Cathy Connolly, and Sue Wilson; former state representative Michael Madden; economics author Sam Western; and former ENDOW director Jerimiah Rieman.