Elliot Richardson
Elliot Richardson | |
---|---|
Robert Finch | |
Succeeded by | Caspar Weinberger |
25th United States Under Secretary of State | |
In office January 23, 1969 – June 23, 1970 | |
President | Richard Nixon |
Preceded by | Nicholas Katzenbach |
Succeeded by | John N. Irwin II |
37th Attorney General of Massachusetts | |
In office January 18, 1967 – January 23, 1969 | |
Governor | John A. Volpe |
Preceded by | Edward T. Martin |
Succeeded by | Robert H. Quinn |
62nd Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts | |
In office January 7, 1965 – January 2, 1967 | |
Governor | John A. Volpe |
Preceded by | Francis Bellotti |
Succeeded by | Francis Sargent |
United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | |
In office 1959–1961 | |
President | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Preceded by | Anthony Julian |
Succeeded by | W. Arthur Garrity Jr. |
Personal details | |
Born | Elliot Lee Richardson July 20, 1920 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Died | December 31, 1999 (aged 79) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Anne Francis Hazard
(m. 1952; died 1999) |
Children | 3, including Henry |
Education | Harvard University (AB, LLB) |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1942–1945 |
Rank | First Lieutenant |
Unit |
|
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | |
Elliot Lee Richardson (July 20, 1920 – December 31, 1999) was an American lawyer and Republican politician. As a member of the cabinets of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford between 1970 and 1977, Richardson is one of two men in United States history to hold four cabinet positions.[a] As United States Attorney General, Richardson played a prominent role in the Watergate scandal when he resigned in protest against President Nixon's order to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox. His resignation precipitated a crisis of confidence in Nixon which ultimately led to the president's resignation.
Born in Boston, Richardson attended Harvard University. After graduating, he served in World War II as a combat medic and participated in the invasion of Normandy. He returned home, attended Harvard Law School, and clerked for Learned Hand and Felix Frankfurter before beginning his legal career at Ropes & Gray. Richardson began a long career in public office in 1959 when he was appointed by President Dwight Eisenhower to the position of United States Attorney in the District of Massachusetts, the lead federal prosecutor in the state. Through the 1960s, he was a leading figure in the Massachusetts Republican Party and won election as the 62nd lieutenant governor in 1964 and the attorney general in 1966. As of 2023, he is the last Republican to serve as Massachusetts Attorney General.
In 1969, he joined the
After the Ford administration, Richardson returned to private practice as an attorney in Washington. He advised Democratic president Jimmy Carter on maritime law and briefly returned to politics with an unsuccessful run for United States Senate in 1984, when he lost the Republican primary to Ray Shamie.
Early life and career
Elliot Lee Richardson was born in Boston, Massachusetts on July 20, 1920. His mother was Clara Lee Richardson (née Shattuck). His father, Edward Peirson Richardson, was a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School and member of a leading Boston Brahmin family in the city's medical community, including his father, surgeon Maurice Howe Richardson, and brother, naturalist and author Wyman Richardson.[1][2][3] In addition to his father, both of Richardson's grandfathers, three uncles, and two of his brothers were physicians at Harvard Medical and Massachusetts General Hospital.[4]
Richardson attended
World War II service
In 1942, following the U.S. entry into World War II, Richardson enlisted as a
He continued to serve in the 4th Infantry Division throughout the European campaign and received the Bronze Star Medal and two Purple Hearts with oak leaf cluster.[4] He was discharged in 1945 with the rank of first lieutenant.
Legal career
Following his discharge, Richardson enrolled at Harvard Law School. In choosing law over medicine, Richardson would later reflect, "I was not sorry to pass up medicine as a career. It seemed too much like a book I had read before."[4] While at Harvard, he served as president of the Harvard Law Review.[5]
After his graduation in 1947, Richardson was a law clerk for Judge Learned Hand on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Associate Justice Felix Frankfurter on the Supreme Court of the United States. Following his clerkships, Richardson joined the law firm Ropes, Gray, Best, Coolidge & Rugg (now Ropes & Gray) in Boston but soon became convinced that private practice "did not match the satisfaction of doing a good job for the public."[4] In 1953, Frankfurter proposed Richardson for the presidency of Harvard when the office became open, even though Richardson was only 33 years old.[4]
Early political career
While at Ropes & Gray, Richardson became active in Massachusetts Republican politics and supported the presidential campaign of Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 1953, he briefly joined the staff of United States Senator Leverett Saltonstall before returning to private practice.[4] In 1957, Eisenhower appointed Richardson assistant secretary for legislation in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, where he worked to develop the National Defense Education Act and Social Security legislation.[4]
In 1959, Eisenhower appointed Richardson to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. He gained a reputation as a tough prosecutor with a special reputation for tax fraud cases. He later wrote, "in my
In 1962, Richardson ran for
After returning to the firm, Richardson left permanently in 1964 after he was elected the
Nixon administration
Richardson joined the Nixon administration in 1969 as undersecretary of state.
Richardson had the distinction of serving in three high-level Executive Branch posts in a single year—the tumultuous year of 1973—as the
1970–73: Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare
In June 1970, Nixon asked Richardson to serve as secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, with the intent of reducing inefficiency and bureaucracy.[4] At HEW, Richardson sought to simply grant processing and consolidate duplicate programs. He faced criticism from liberals for undercutting desegregation busing programs in public schools.[4] He also developed a national health care plan during his time at HEW.[6]
In September 1970, Richardson was present at the funeral of President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, where he secretly met with Nasser's successor, Anwar Sadat, to discuss U.S. involvement in peace negotiations with Israel.[7]
In 1972, Richardson established the National High Blood Pressure Education Program at the urging of
January–May 1973: Secretary of Defense
Richardson was appointed United States Secretary of Defense on January 30, 1973.[8] When President Nixon selected Richardson as secretary, the press described him as an excellent manager and administrator. In his confirmation hearing, Richardson expressed agreement with Nixon's policies on such issues as the adequacy of U.S. strategic forces, NATO and relationships with other allies, and Vietnam.[citation needed] His primary role as Secretary was as the administration's spokesman for the legality of the covert bombing of Cambodia.[4]
Although he promised to examine the budget carefully to identify areas for savings, and in fact later ordered the closure of some military installations, Richardson cautioned against precipitate reductions. As he told a Senate committee, "Significant cuts in the Defense Budget now would seriously weaken the U.S. position on international negotiations—in which U.S. military capabilities, in both real and symbolic terms, are an important factor." Similarly, he strongly supported continued military assistance at current levels. During his short tenure, Richardson spent much time testifying before congressional committees on the proposed FY 1974 budget and other Defense matters.[9]
May–Oct 1973: U.S. Attorney General
After only three months as Secretary of Defense, Richardson becoming Nixon's Attorney General, a move that would put him in the Watergate spotlight.[10]
Investigation of Spiro Agnew
As Attorney General, Richardson supervised the investigation by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, George Beall, into claims that Vice President Spiro Agnew accepted bribes and kickbacks as Baltimore County Executive and Governor of Maryland.[4] By the time Richardson was sworn in as Attorney General, Beall's investigation had revealed that Agnew received five percent of county and state contracts from engineer Lester Matz during his time in office. Agnew had been aware of the investigation since February and had met with Richardson's predecessor, Richard Kleindienst, to reach Beall.
On July 3, Beall informed Richardson that Agnew had continued receiving kickbacks as vice president, meaning he was no longer shielded from prosecution by the statute of limitations. At the end of the month, White House chief of staff Alexander Haig and the President were informed, and on August 1, Beall informed Agnew's attorney that the vice president was under investigation for tax fraud and corruption.
Nixon ordered Richardson to personally take responsibility for the investigation, and he met with Agnew and his attorneys on August 6 to discuss the case. The same day, the story became public in the He resigned as vice president on October 10.
Agnew later claimed Richardson had pressed for his prosecution for the specific reason that Richardson wished to be appointed as vice president, which would either give him the inside track for the Republican presidential nomination in 1976, or, should Nixon resign over Watergate, elevate Richardson to the presidency. Richardson denied taking any extraordinary steps to advance the investigation.[citation needed]
Watergate investigation and resignation
Richardon's primary legacy as Attorney General comes from his involvement, and eventual resignation over, the investigations into the
On his first day in office, Richardson appointed
President Nixon subsequently ordered Richardson's second-in-command, Deputy Attorney General
In 1974, Richardson received the
Ford administration
During the
Richardson's acceptance in 1975 of the appointment as
Later life
From 1977 to 1980, he served as an Ambassador-at-Large and Special Representative of President
From 1980 to 1992, Richardson was partner in the Washington office of
In 1984, he ran for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by
Personal life
Richardson's older son,
Richardson was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1958.[19] Richardson was also an active Freemason as a member of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a 33rd Degree Freemason in the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.[20] In 1980, Richardson received an honorary degree from Bates College. In 1983, Richardson was admitted as an honorary member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati.
Author
Richardson was the author of two books. The Creative Balance: Government, Politics, and the Individual in America's Third Century was published by
I am a moderate – a radical moderate. I believe profoundly in the ultimate value of human dignity and equality. I therefore believe as well in such essential contributions to these ends as fairness, tolerance, and mutual respect. In seeking to be fair, tolerant, and respectful I need to call upon all the empathy, understanding, rationality, skepticism, balance, and objectivity I can muster.[21]
In the same book, Richardson decries "excessive government legislation", but also notes that the government is necessary to tackle serious issues.[22]
In 1972, Richardson was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) degree from Whittier College.[23] In 1974 Richardson gave the commencement address at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and received an honorary Doctors of Law.
Death and legacy
Richardson's wife, Anne, died on July 26, 1999. On December 29, 1999, Richardson was admitted to
President
In popular culture
An image of Richardson taken by photographer
See also
Notes
- ^ The other is George Shultz.
References
- ^ "Richardson, Edward Peirson, 1881–1944. Papers, 1875–1931: A Finding Aid" Archived January 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine. Center for the History of Medicine. Harvard Medical Library and Boston Medical Library, August 19, 2004 (Edward Peirson Richardson was a son of the noted surgeon Maurice Howe Richardson and a brother of the noted author Wyman Richardson, M.D.)
- ^ a b "Elliot Richardson Dies at 79; Stood Up to Nixon and Resigned In 'Saturday Night Massacre'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
- ^ "Ancestry of Dick Cheney (b. 1941)". www.wargs.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Barnes, Bart (January 1, 2000). "Elliot Richardson Dies at 79". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
- ^ Butterfield, Fox (February 6, 1990). "First Black Elected to Head Harvard's Law Review". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 10, 2008. Retrieved March 24, 2008.
- ^ "From the Nixon Era, a Healthcare Proposal Ahead of Its Time". February 27, 2018.
- ^ shifoooo (October 8, 2008), Yom Kippur War 1973: The Egyptian Revenge - (1/4), archived from the original on April 9, 2019, retrieved February 19, 2019
- ^ "Elliot L. Richardson - Richard Nixon Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense - Historical Office. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ "SecDef Histories – Elliot Richardson". Secretary of Defense. Archived from the original on August 7, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
- ISBN 0-688-03192-7.
- ^ "Agnew on the Tightrope". Time. October 8, 1973. cover. Archived from the original on December 27, 2007. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
- ^ "Agnew Takes on the Justice Department". Time. October 8, 1973. Archived from the original on December 14, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
- ^ Nissman, David M. (October 13, 1998). "Interview with Deputy Assistant Attorney General John C. Keeney" (PDF). U.S. Attorneys' Bulletin. 47 (2, Cumulative Index): 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 27, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2007.
- ^ "National - Jefferson Awards Foundation". Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
- ^ "Pat Buchanan on Nixon/Trump Comparison: History Repeats Itself, First As Tragedy, Then As Farce". RealClearPolitics.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ "Elliot Lee Richardson". 2005 West's Encyclopedia of American Law. The Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
- ^ Richardson, Elliot L. (Spring 1980). "Power, Mobility and the Law of the Sea". Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2008. (Article Preview).
- ^ Kornacki, Steve (January 5, 2011) The Republicans who should fear the Tea Party the most Archived January 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Salon.com
- ^ "Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter R" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2011.
- ^ "Elliot Richardson Papers" Archived June 21, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Library of Congress. Cf. Box 3 : 436
- ISBN 978-0-679-42820-6.
- ^ "Reflections of a Radical Moderate: By Elliot Richardson".
- ^ "Honorary Degrees | Whittier College". www.whittier.edu. Archived from the original on January 10, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ^ "Elliot Richardson dies". The New York Times. January 1, 2000. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
- ^ "Elliot Richardson, admired for defying Nixon". San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco. Associated Press. January 1, 2000. p. 22. Retrieved December 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Interpol explore the inner Marauder on their upcoming album - interview". The Independent. July 10, 2018. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.