Reston's Elder Statesmen Reflect on the Past

What brings a standing room crowd to the on a hot Sunday afternoon? The opportunity to enjoy the wit and wisdom from two men who have lived long and lived well.

Robert Simon, the 97-year-old founder of Reston, Oscar Haynes, 95, were the headliners at a Living History event at the museum on Sunday. The two men  were introduced by 9-year-old Eli Au, who also led the questioning for the first half of the program. In the second half, Ellen Graves, member the Reston Museum's Board of Directors, took questions from the audience.

Au asked both men what they considered their greatest accomplishment.

 One might expect Simon to point to the success of Reston as his greatest achievement.  Instead,  Simon recalled a time when he had the opportunity to ice dance with the third-ranked ice dancer in the world as his partner. He said that day he felt “seven feet tall."

Haynes  said he looks back proudly on the years he served as President of the Capital Press Club, formed as an alternative to the National Press Club, which did not admit people of color.  He also told Au that he had met three presidents (Truman, Johnson and Carter).

When asked about what made them happiest, Haynes focused on the beginning of his day.

“I wake up each morning with an attitude of gratitude – my disappointments are so minute I don’t think about them. I’m happy. I’m happy every day and I try to share that with everyone I meet.”

Simon responded that he was happiest after 5 o’clock, “because I know I’ll have a martini soon.”

 Many of the audiences’ questions focused on Reston and its future.

Simon said, looking forward, increased population in Reston is a sure thing,  but how it is handled depends on the politics and attitude of the community regarding density.

“For some density is anathema,” he said.

He continues to believe strongly that  true village centers are necessary to draw people in. He refers to Madrid as an example of a successful  “super plaza” with smaller plazas in the communities.

Haynes’ opinion is that potential in Reston is excellent because the community reaches out to people and the  cultural life  draws people in.

The both agreed it would be difficult to create a Reston today because of the amount of land required and the shift in housing priorities in the last decade. Simon joked that he had to convince his 3,000 constituents before he began Reston – which was easy because they were all cows.

When discussing Reston becoming an independent city, Simon’s take is that the concept is totally theoretical. He feels  the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors would never approve it.

 Haynes said he doesn’t think it is necessary because “Reston is good the way it is."