en Simon lived the American dream—and fought to preserve it. A proud Marine, he served in World War II before returning home to Pittsburgh, where he built a small business from the ground up. His entrepreneurial success wasn’t just about personal achievement; when the time came, he sold the business to his employees, ensuring that they shared in its prosperity. Ken believed in shaping his own future—and securing freedom for generations to come.
That belief in liberty led Ken to the Cato Institute. In his later years, he became close with Cato scholars like Roger Pilon, whose work on constitutional studies mirrored his own convictions.
Beginning in 1989, Cato advanced a unique philosophy: Judges should be neither active nor restrained but instead responsible to the Constitution they swear to uphold. This philosophy deeply resonated with Ken, inspiring him to champion the broader adoption of judicial engagement in protecting liberty.
Ken put his ideals into action. In 1998, he endowed the B. Kenneth Simon Chair in Constitutional Studies. As he explained at the time, “I have followed the work of Cato, and of Roger Pilon in particular, for some time. It is important work that needs to reach the broadest possible audience. What could be more important in this country than reviving the idea of limited, constitutional government?”
His legacy gift proved transformational. It enabled Pilon, the chair’s inaugural holder, to build an amicus brief program and Center for Constitutional Studies to shape legal debates at the highest levels. Cato’s arguments have been cited in both majority and dissenting opinions, advancing key principles of individual liberty and the rule of law.
More than 25 years later, Ken’s partnership elevates the work of Ilya Somin to make the case for constitutional limits on government power. Somin tackles crucial issues like immigration restrictions, racial and ethnic discrimination by the state, and the erosion of property rights.
Cato’s engagement in the courts remains one of the most effective ways to defend the Constitution. Our legal advocacy has helped secure landmark victories for gun rights, free speech, and equal protection under the law—while pushing back against government overreach in areas like racial preferences and administrative power.
Ken foresaw these opportunities for the Center for Constitutional Studies and created his legacy by partnering with Cato. We’re grateful for his leadership. The fight for freedom carries on.
For information on Cato’s Legacy Society, please contact Brian Mullis at bmullis@cato.org. To learn more about planned giving, please visit
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