I'm personally grateful to Jim Simons -- and his foundation -- for supporting and extending mathematical research in Berkeley, and throughout the world. Jim Si

I'm personally grateful to Jim Simons -- and his foundation -- for supporting and extending mathematical research in Berkeley, and throughout the world. Jim Simons did fundamental research in topology; his work in mathematics, cryptography, and topological quantum field theory. Beyond this, he pressed for higher quality public education in math and encouraging training and presige for math teachers.