Matty Simmons(1926-2020)

Matty Simmons, born in Brooklyn, was a high school and college basketball player, who, at the age of seventeen, became a newspaper reporter for the "New York World Telegram and Sun". After a brief stint in the army he became a New York press agent, opening his own firm and representing show business clients as well as commercial accounts such as Heinekein Beer. He then became one of the three men who started "The Diners Club", the first all purpose credit card company and served as Executive Vice President of that company primarily directing its marketing and publishing operations including "Signature Magazine", which he founded shortly after the company's inception. He resigned in the late 1960s to form 21st Century Communications which was later to become National Lampoon, Inc. The company went public in 1972 with Mr. Simmons as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Its first magazine was "Weight Watchers Magazine", founded in 1968. In 1970, the company introduced "National Lampoon" which was to become the most popular humor magazine in publishing history. In 1972, Mr. Simmons produced the musical comedy "Lemmings" in which he introduced a number of new faces including John Belushi, Chevy Chase and Christopher Guest. Over the next years, Mr. Simmons produced three other Lampoon stage shows: The National Lampoon Show, That's Not Funny, That's Sick, and The Class of '86. During that period, he also produced the "National Lampoon Radio Hour," which was the most popular radio show in America in 1973 and 1974, and 12 comedy albums. In 1978 he produced, National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), considered the most popular movie comedy of all time. He has also produced, among other films the National Lampoon "Vacation" series, the most popular family movie series (box office) of all time. In 1979, he was named "Producer of the Year" and in 1980, "Publisher of the Year" by industry organizations. His film and television discoveries include Michelle Pfeiffer, Tom Hulce and Kevin Bacon. His film "Animal House" won the 1978 People's Choice Award. Over the years, Mr. Simmons has written eight books including several best-sellers and in the 1960s was the principal owner of the San Francisco Warriors, later to become the Golden State Warriors. His most recent books, "If You Don't Buy This Book, We'll Kill This Dog", and "The Credit Card Catastophe" were published in 1995 and 1996. In March of 1989, he sold his controlling interest in the National Lampoon, Inc., and now lives in Los Angeles and continues to write and produce movies and television.