Richard David Hewes (August 16, 1926 – July 8, 2014) was an American politician from

Cape Elizabeth, Maine Cape Elizabeth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The town is part of the Portland– South Portland–Biddeford, Maine, metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 census, Cape Elizabeth had a population of 9,535. ...

. A Republican, Hewes served as

Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives The Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives is the speaker and presiding officer of the Maine House of Representatives, the lower house of the Maine Legislature. List of speakers {{Years in Maine * Maine Maine () is a U.S. s ...

from 1973 to 1974. Another Republican Speaker was not elected until

Robert Nutting Robert Nutting (born March 29, 1962) is a businessman and sports team owner. He is currently the principal owner and chairman of the board of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. His other business activities include serving as presi ...

in December 2010.

Background

Hewes was born at Webber Hospital in

Biddeford, Maine Biddeford is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. Its population was 22,552 at the 2020 census. The twin cities of Saco and Biddeford include the resort communities of Biddeford P ...

, grew up in Saco and attended Thornton Academy. He served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Hewes received his Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Maine and his law degree from

Boston University Law School Boston University School of Law (Boston Law or BU Law) is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the United States and considered an eli ...

. Hewes practiced law in

Saco, Maine Saco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,381 at the 2020 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General Dynamics Armament Systems (also known by i ...

with his father and then moved to Boston, Massachusetts to practice law before returning to Maine and was a trial lawyer and senior partner in Portland. Hewes served in the

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via ...

from 1966 to 1976. From 1972–1974, Hewes served as House Speaker. In that position, Hewes was noted for building ample public parking around the State House. He left office to advocate for the

Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men an ...

. In 1976, Hewes was narrowly elected to the State Senate from District 8. He served only one term in the Maine Senate. In 1983, Hewes was appointed by Governor Joseph Brennan to the Cumberland County Commission, where he stayed until the 1990s.

Death

Hewes died at his home in Cape Elizabeth of

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

on July 8, 2014. He was 87.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hewes, Richard 1926 births 2014 deaths Politicians from Biddeford, Maine People from Cape Elizabeth, Maine People from Saco, Maine University of Maine alumni Boston University School of Law alumni Maine lawyers Massachusetts lawyers Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives Republican Party members of the Maine House of Representatives Republican Party Maine state senators County commissioners in Maine Neurological disease deaths in Maine Deaths from Parkinson's disease 20th-century American lawyers Thornton Academy alumni