Professor Yves R. Simon (1903-1961) was a renowned French Catholic political philosopher. At the Catholic University of Paris, Simon met Thomistic philosopher Jacques Maritain, who was on the university's faculty at the time. From Maritiain, Simon learned that philosophy is not a "mere cultural exercise" and should be taken seriously as a search for truth and wisdom--a lesson that Simon learned well. Simon was a teacher at several American universities, including the University of Notre Dame and the University of Chicago. He published numerous books and articles, many of which remain as classic pieces of political and social philosophy.