Introduction

Biography

Simpkins’ edu­ca­tion in­clud­ed time at the Hir­am Col­lege Pre­pa­ra­to­ry School, Hins­dale, Ohio.

He was a mem­ber of the Chris­tian Church (Dis­ci­ples of Christ) and tra­veled for a time with an ev­an­gel­ist. He wrote a number of hymns dur­ing the ear­ly 1900s.

He en­tered the field of edu­ca­tion and taught in Ohio: Kins­man Town­ship School (1915–16); Mu­sic Di­rect­or (1916–24); As­sist­ant Coun­ty Su­per­in­ten­dent and Su­per­vis­or of Band and Or­ches­tra, Trum­bull Coun­ty (1924–28); and Mu­sic Di­rect­or, Cort­land Vil­lage School. He was known as the Fa­ther of the School Band Move­ment in Trum­bull Coun­ty.

After re­tire­ment, Simp­kins moved with his wife Ma­til­da to Ri­ve­rside, Ca­li­for­nia.

There he met hymn writ­er Carl­ton C. Buck, and be­came a mem­ber of the Church where Buck was pas­tor. Through this as­so­ci­ation, he re­newed his in­ter­est in hymn writ­ing.

A pi­an­ist, he al­so wrote hymn tunes and col­la­bo­rat­ed dur­ing his re­tire­ment years on se­ver­al hymns with his pas­tor.