Richard Richards (May 14, 1932 – January 30, 2015) was an American political activist who served as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1981 to 1983. He was active in the

Republican party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

and politics from the late 1960s until the 1980s. He was born in

Ogden, Utah Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau, making it Utah's eighth ...

. Richards served in the United States Army from 1952 until 1955, finishing his service as an officer with the 7th Cavalry Regiment. Before being drafted, Richards had been active in politics, organizing the Junior Republican League while studying at

Weber State College Weber State University (pronounced ) is a public university in Ogden, Utah. It was founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. History Weber State University was founded ...

in Ogden, Utah. He graduated from the

University of Utah Law School The S.J. Quinney College of Law is the professional graduate law school of the University of Utah. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, the school was established in 1913. It is a member of the Association of American Law Schools and is accredited by ...

and was active in the political campaigns of

Douglas R. Stringfellow Douglas R. Stringfellow (September 24, 1922 – October 19, 1966) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for one term, best known for lying about his war record, education and achievements. Biographical background ...

Laurence J. Burton Laurence Junior Burton (October 30, 1926 – November 27, 2002) was a U.S. Representative from Utah. Born in Ogden, Utah, Burton graduated from Ogden High School in 1944. Enlisted in the United States Navy Air Corps and served from January ...

and Dr.

Henry Aldous Dixon Henry Aldous Dixon (June 29, 1890 – January 22, 1967) was a U.S. Representative from Utah and the president of first Weber College and later Utah State Agricultural College. Biography Born in Provo in the Utah Territory, Dixon attended th ...

, organizing a youth group that helped Dr. Dixon win election to the United States Congress. He later served as a member of the Republican National Committee and chairman of the Utah Republican Party, and was the first state chairman to endorse

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

for President in 1976. He resided near Ogden with his wife. Richards was a Latter-day Saint. Richards died at his home on January 30, 2015, at the age of 82. The Richard Richards Institute for Ethics at Weber State University is named for him. Weber State University published his autobiography ''Climbing the Political Ladder, One Rung at a Time'' in 2006.Richard Richards, ''Climbing the Political Ladder One Rung at a Time'' (Ogden UT: Weber State University, 2006).

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* 1932 births 2015 deaths American political consultants American Latter Day Saints People from Ogden, Utah United States Army officers University of Utah alumni Utah lawyers Utah Republicans Weber State University alumni 20th-century American lawyers {{Utah-politician-stub

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