Washington & Jefferson College Athletics

Ray Simms ’58 is the recipient of the 2015 Robert M. Murphy Award.

A four-sport athlete at Washington & Jefferson, Simms participated in football, basketball, track & field and swimming.  He earned eight varsity letters and was selected as the College’s 1958 Outstanding Senior Athlete. 

An English and Psychology major, Simms came to W&J from Mt. Lebanon High School and played fullback on the football squad.  As a senior co-captain, he scored a pair of touchdowns during a 20-13 Presidents’ victory over Otterbein.  Simms joined teammate, roommate and 1999 W&J Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Ray Johnston ’58 on the All-District Team.  During his junior season, Simms was named to the Tri-State Honorable Mention All-Star Team.

Graduating from W&J, Simms affilated with The Aetna Casualty and Surety Company and moved through various management positions at the Hartford, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Springfield, Illinois offices.

Leaving The Aetna, Simms spent the largest part of his working career in the domestic as well as  international construction and real estate development businesses.  Projects included airport terminals, air bases, education, research and development, gaming, urban hotel, retail and office facilities along with hospitals, stadiums and multi-family residential towers.  

Clients included the United States Corps of Engineers and State Department, colleges and universities, airport authorities, the Government of Kuwait, IBM, Macy’s, Harrah’s, The Trump Organization and The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.    

Starting in 1994, Simms formed K&R Investment Company, Inc.  K&R provides consulting services and representation to the construction and real estate industries for market identification and definition, large project organization and management, profitability analyses, disputes and claims resolution, joint venture structures, mergers and acquisitions.

Simms served as an Alumni and Term Trustee of Washington & Jefferson College throughout the 90’s.  Simms has also been a member of the faculty advisory committee to The Harvard Graduate School of Design.  Simms has lectured at colleges and universities, The International Council of Shopping Centers, The Associated General Contractors of America, Engineering News Record and the American Management Association forums with regard to Planning New Building Projects, The Marketing Concept for Construction, The Construction Management Concept and The Value of Design/Build Services.

In addition, Simms has spent time as a Director of The Genesis Fund – The National Birth Defects Center and a Director of the Rottweiler Health Foundation.  In retirement, he and his wife Karel now reside in Reno/Tahoe, Nevada.  But most important, grand daughter Haley Kulas is presently a student at our college.