Richard Richards’ political interests developed early. Active in student government while attending Weber High School (1946-1950) and Weber College (1950-1952), he served as sophomore class president at both schools, was a candidate for student body president at both schools, and was elected president of Phi Ro Pi (National Junior College Debate Society). In 1952, his final year at Weber College, he organized the “College Republicans” to campaign for local, state and national GOP candidates.

Following a military tour of duty during the Korean War (1952-1955), Richards returned to Ogden and political activism as a precinct chairman in the 1956 elections. In 1958, he worked in the Congressional campaign of Henry Aldous Dixon, former Weber College President. Though involved with studies and the University of Utah College of Law, he found time to campaign for Richard Nixon in the 1960 Presidential contest, and to serve as Chairman of the Utah Young Republicans.

Taking a Juris Doctor Degree in 1961, Richards embarked upon his career as an attorney. For some twenty years thereafter, he worked as a partner in the Ogden law firms of Froerer, Horowitz, Parker, Richards & Thornley (1962-1972); Mecham & Richards (1972-1979); and Richard Richards & Associates (1979-1981). Professional demands did not, however, lessen his enthusiasm for politics. Throughout the Sixties and Seventies he maintained an active role in the Republican Party. In return for his efforts in the 1960 re-election campaign of Utah Senator Wallace Bennett, he received a staff appointment as a Field representative. During the elections of 1962, he worked as the Weber County campaign chairman for Laurence J. Burton, GOP candidate from Utah’s First Congressional District. Successful in his bid for that office, Congressman Burton asked Richards to join him in Washington D.C. as a legislative aide and administrative assistant. It was to be the first of several sojourns in the nation’s capitol for the Utah attorney.

Not all of Richard Richards’ political energies were expanded in the furtherance of others’ aspirations. In the early Sixties, he ran for election to both the Utah Legislature and the Ogden City Council. In 1970, he ran for Utah’s First District Congressional seat. He lost by a small margin to Democrat Gunn McKay. Those defeats did not deter him from his objectives, however.

In 1966, he gained the post of Utah State Republican Chairman, empowered to act as a voting member of the Republican National Committee for two terms. As Chairman, he also led the Utah delegation at the 1968 Republican National Convention in Miami, Florida, where he was invited to give one of the seconding speeches to George Romney’s nomination for President of the United States. During 1971-1972, he served as the director for the Utah and the regional Committee to Re-elect the President, and attended the Republican National Convention as a delegate instrumental to the Nixon campaign. Again a delegate at the 1976 convention, Richards backed the first bid for office by presidential contender Ronald Reagan, and was subsequently asked to join Reagan’s “Citizens for the Republic” committee. At the 1980 Convention, Richards appeared not as the Western Regional Coordinator for the Reagan-Bush campaign, in charge of political activities in nineteen states.

Following Reagan’s election in 1980, Richards was appointed as leader of the Administration’s transition team for the Department of the Interior. As such, he supervised preparations for the Department’s transition from Cecil Andrus to James Watt, overseeing the formulation of policy proposals consistent with Reagan’s campaign promises and the Republican Party’s platform. Concluding these duties, Richards was “hand-picked” by President Reagan to serve as the Chairman of the Republican National Committee. He assumed that office in January 1981 and held it until February 1983. In part, his responsibilities as Chairman included, “supervision of the Republican Party and coordination of political campaigns for gubernatorial, senatorial, congressional, and state legislative races throughout the country.” In addition, he was in charge of raising ‘in excess of $40 million to allocate to Party’s priority efforts.”

In regard to his services as Chairman, President Reagan called Richard Richards, “one of the best and brightest political leaders of our nation.’ Vice President Bush concurred with that opinion, adding that the Republican Party, “is fortunate to have Dick Richards at the helm as we launch the ship of state on its brave new beginning.” In their Book, Who Runs Washington, authors Michael Kilian and Arnold Sawislak place Richard Richards as “number one on the list of top ten political professionals.”

Since the end of his term as Chairman, Richards has worked as a partner in the Washington law firm of Bliss, Craft & Richards, specializing in energy-related law. He has also acted as senior advisor to Senator Paul Laxalt, General Chairman of the Republican Party, and Frank Fahrenkopf, Chairman of the Republican National Committee. His future plans include an eventual return to his home in Ogden.