Walter Richard "Rick" West Jr. (born January 6, 1943) is the president and CEO of the

Autry Museum of the American West The Autry Museum of the American West is a museum in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to exploring an inclusive history of the American West. Founded in 1988, the museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and public programs, including le ...

in Los Angeles. He was the founding director of the Smithsonian

National Museum of the American Indian The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum in the United States devoted to the culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It is part of the Smithsonian Institution group of museums and research centers. The museum has three ...

,"Biography: W. Richard West Jr." ''Ford Foundation''
(Retrieved 16 Jan 09) retiring from the position in 2007. He is also a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma and a Peace Chief of the

Southern Cheyenne The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are a united, federally recognized tribe of Southern Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne people in western Oklahoma. History The Cheyennes and Arapahos are two distinct tribes with distinct histories. The Cheyenne (Ts ...

."W. Richard West." ''Department of the Interior'

(retrieved 16 Jan 09) His professional life has been devoted to serving the Native Americans in the United States, American Indian community on cultural, artistic, educational, legal and governmental issues.

Background

Born in

San Bernardino, California San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 ce ...

, West grew up in a log cabin in Muskogee, Oklahoma."A Warrior in Washington" ''Stanford Magazine''
(Retrieved 17 Jun 12) He is the son of Maribelle McCrea West, a Baptist minister's daughter of Scottish-American background and the late Walter Richard West Sr. (1912–1996). His father, "Dick" West, was a well-respected Cheyenne painter, who chaired the art department at

Bacone College Bacone College, formerly Bacone Indian University, is a private tribal college in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Founded in 1880 as the Indian University by missionary Almon C. Bacone, it was originally affiliated with the mission arm of what is now Ameri ...

. Richard West earned a bachelor of arts degree in American history, graduating '' magna cum laude'' in 1965 and graduated

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

from the

University of Redlands The University of Redlands is a private university headquartered in Redlands, California. The university's main, residential campus is situated on 160 acres (65 ha) near downtown Redlands. An additional eight regional locations throughout Califo ...

in California. He also received a master's degree in American history from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

in 1968. West graduated from

Stanford Law School Stanford Law School (Stanford Law or SLS) is the law school of Stanford University, a private research university near Palo Alto, California. Established in 1893, it is regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world. Stanford La ...

with a doctor of jurisprudence degree in 1971, where he also was the recipient of the Hilmer Oehlmann Jr. Prize for excellence in legal writing and served as an editor and note editor of the ''

Stanford Law Review The ''Stanford Law Review'' (SLR) is a legal journal produced independently by Stanford Law School students. The journal was established in 1948 with future U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher as its first president. The review produces s ...

''.

Professional career

West was a partner in the

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, office of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, and, subsequently, in the Indian-owned

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

law firm of Gover, Stetson, Williams & West, P.C. During his law career, West served as both a general counsel and special counsel to a wide range of tribes and non-tribal organizations, before tribal, state, and federal and tribal courts. He also represented clients before several executive departments of the

U.S. Federal Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fed ...

and the

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

. During his tenure in the Smithsonia, the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

'' exposed his lavish travel expenses and a gala farewell celebration. This is part of a general crackdown on Smithsonian expenses by the

General Accounting Office The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is a legislative branch government agency that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress. It is the supreme audit institution of the federal gover ...

. West has stated that the travel was for museum business and approved by supervisors. After conducting an investigation at the request of the United States Congress, the Smithsonian Institution's inspector general found that West "should have exercised better judgment." West has agreed to reimburse the Smithsonian $9,700. The Smithsonian Office of the Inspector General, A. Sprightley Ryan, published a 42-page report on October 28, 2008 responding to media reports and congressional requests. From 2007 to 2010, West served as the Vice President of the

International Council of Museums The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to museums, maintaining formal relations with UNESCO and having a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Founded in 1946, I ...

. In 2011, he was appointed as the Interim Director for the Textile Museum in Washington D.C. Since 2011, he has served on the board of directors of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation. In 2012, the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, & Museums (ATALM) honored West with a Guardians of Culture and Lifeways International Award and the

designated West as the new President and CEO.https://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/27/entertainment/la-et-cm-autry-director-richard-west-20130428 Los Angeles Times. Accessed 5/15/14.

Personal life

West married Mary Beth Braden, a fellow Stanford graduate. She is the professor of political science at the

National Defense University The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...

Industrial College of the Armed Forces The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (Eisenhower School), formerly known as the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF), is a part of the National Defense University. It was renamed on September 6, 20 ...

. Together they have two adult children, Amy and Ben.

References

External links

* from National Museum of the American Indian site
W. Richard West Jr. interview
Audio recording.
Native paths: American Indian art from the collection of Charles and Valerie Diker
an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains an essay by W. Richard West Jr. {{DEFAULTSORT:West, W. Richard Jr. 1943 births People from San Bernardino, California Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes people American lawyers American people of Scottish descent Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Stanford University alumni University of Redlands alumni Living people National Museum of the American Indian People associated with Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson