FULL NAME: Simon Tam
NICKNAME: Simon
DATE OF BIRTH: January 13, 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH: Brooklyn, New York
ETHNICITY: American
RELIGION: Christian
MARITAL STATUS: Married
FAMILY:
Gabriel Tam, father; born in 1928
Regan Tam, mother; born in 1930
River Tam, sister; born 1963
Kaylee Simons; wife, born 1960
Wash Tam, son; born 1983
Zoe Tam, daughter; born 1986
Jayne Tam, son; born 1990
POLITICAL PARTY: Democrat
HOMESTATE: New York
SUPERREGION: New England
MEGAREGION: North Atlantic
POSITION: Representative, New York's 9th District
Bio: Born to a wealthy New York family, Simon Tam lived a privileged life, attending the prestigious Trinity School in New York city where he graduated with honors, and later enrolling in Harvard, where he majored in Economics, obtaining his Bacherlos in Economics in 1973. Increasingly shocked by reports and photographs from Vietnam during his time in College, after obtaining his Masters, he decided to take a break before pursuing further studies and travel abroad, volunteering for several NGOs along the way as well as trekking accross some of the most imporverished areas in Latin America and Africa.
In 1976 however, during his foray in Argentina, he is swept up by the violence that followed the coup that would depose Peron's wife, and after barely escaping with his life, he decides that he needs to refocus his purpose and life, and resumes his studies in the United States, obtaining his Masters in Economics in 1979, and finally receiving his PhD in 1982. During this time, he would meet and marry his sweetheart, a quirky mechanical engineering student by the name of Kaylee Simons; their first son, Wash, would be born in 1983; a daughter, Zoe, would join him in 1986, and finally their youngest son, Jayne, would be born in 1990.
Simon Tam, following his experiences abroad, has remained active politically, and is a strong proponent of a humanitarian foreign policy. He ran for Congress in 1988, winning in New York's heavily Democratic 9th district. In 1992, he was nominated by recently-elected President Clinton to be Secretary of the Treasury. Following stiff opposition from Senate Republicans, he withdrew his nomination, and subsequently retired from the House.
Educational history:
1969-1973: Harvard College, Bachelor's in Economics
1976-1982: Harvard College, PhD in Economics
Employment history:
1983-1988: Professor of Economics, Harvard
1988-1992: US Representative, New York's 9th District