Phil Ivey's Grandfather, Leonard 'Bud' Simmons

Phil Ivey certainly has many major accomplishments under his belt but it could be argued that he's running second to his own grandfather Leonard 'Bud' Simmons. Leonard, or Bud as he was known to family and friends, was the first black policeman, the first black police commissioner, and first black school board member of his town Roselle. Not content on those accomplishments Bud also was the founding president of the Roselle branch of the NAACP and organized the Union County African-American Republicans.

Bud participated in the Washington marches in 1963 and the Selma/Montgomery march in 1965. He met with both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. He was a staunch fighter for equal rights and spearheaded many civil rights initiatives in Roselle.

Before accomplishing all of that Bud served in World War II with the 648th Ordnance Company participating in the French, Belgium, England, and German campaigns. He was awarded five battle stars and received two citations for meritorious service.

Bud Simmon passed away in 2007 at the age of 87. His daughter Simmons Ivey and her son, poker wonder kid Phil Ivey, founded the Budding Ivey Foundation to provide educational opportunities to at-risk children.