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Media Credit: AJ Stoner Mike Lawrence, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, talks on the phone in his office with a representative of Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill) office Jan. 30, 2007. Lawrence announced on Wednesday he will retire this fall, but remain active in the state's politics.

Mike Lawrence led a respected career in journalism and politics before a former U.S. Senator asked him to teach both at SIUC.

On Wednesday, Lawrence said he would retire as director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute effective Nov. 1. The 65-year-old said he plans to remain in Carbondale with his wife, Marianne, and resume writing a political column he had prior to working at the institute.

"I have had the greatest fulfillment of my life by interacting with SIUC students," he said.

Lawrence said former U.S. Senator Paul Simon asked him to help create the institute in 1998. When Simon died suddenly in December 2003, Lawrence was appointed to replace him as director. Sheila Simon, daughter of the late-senator, said Lawrence has done well in a position no one envied after her father's death.

SIU President Glenn Poshard said he first met Lawrence as a state senator in 1984. He said Lawrence has always wanted to make the public understand state politics.

"Anywhere you went in the capitol and anyone you talked to would say Mike was the most respected reporter," Poshard said.

Though he was unsure of how Provost Don Rice would conduct a search for the next director, Poshard said he hopes to be included in the discussion since he knew Lawrence as a reporter, policy maker and professor.

Assistant Director Matt Baughman said he expects a 10-person search committee consisting of the institute's board of counselors and university officials to find the next director.

Before coming to Carbondale, Lawrence worked for former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar as press secretary and senior policy adviser. Edgar said he did not always agree with Lawrence's opinion, but frequently took his advice.

"Mike had the best way of saying to me, 'Governor, you are nuts,'" Edgar said. "SIUC has been fortunate, and I think they're going to miss him."

Edgar said he was one of many guests Lawrence invited to speak to his journalism and political science classes, and hold discussions with students at luncheons hosted by the institute.

State Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Westmont, a former chief of staff in the Edgar administration, said when Lawrence gave his opinion about a policy at staff meetings everyone listened. Dillard said Lawrence was one of the more intelligent and classy people to work in Illinois politics.

"He renews my faith every day that there are great and decent people working in journalism, state government and at our state universities," he said. "If the public could know him, they would have faith their tax dollars were being well spent."

Before Edgar hired him, Lawrence was a political columnist and reporter based out of Lee Enterprises' Springfield bureau, which he created as managing editor of the Quad-City Times. He later became the Springfield bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times.

He was a fair and balanced journalist, said Charlie Wheeler, a former reporter in the Sun-Times bureau for Lawrence. Now the director of a graduate program at the University of Illinois in Springfield for journalism students, Wheeler said Lawrence's reputation led him to become a mentor for several government officials.

Steve Brown, spokesman for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and former statehouse reporter for the Daily Herald, said Lawrence was expected to testify before a committee this morning about reworking Illinois' legislative districts.

"We won't see him at home making pot holders," Brown said. "We expect to still see him on the scene."

Daily Egyptian writer Barton Lorimor can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 274 or barton.lorimor@siude.com.

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