Elliot Richardson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elliot Richardson
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| 23rd United States Secretary of Commerce | |
| In office February 2, 1976 – January 20, 1977 |
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| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Rogers Morton |
| Succeeded by | Juanita M. Kreps |
| United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom | |
| In office March 21, 1975 – January 16, 1976 |
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| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Walter Annenberg |
| Succeeded by | Anne Armstrong |
| 69th United States Attorney General | |
| In office May 25, 1973 – October 20, 1973 |
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| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Richard Kleindienst |
| Succeeded by | William B. Saxbe |
| 11th United States Secretary of Defense | |
| In office January 30, 1973 – May 24, 1973 |
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| President | Richard Nixon |
| Deputy | Bill Clements |
| Preceded by | Melvin Laird |
| Succeeded by | James R. Schlesinger |
| 9th United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare | |
| In office June 24, 1970 – January 29, 1973 |
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| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Robert Finch |
| Succeeded by | Caspar Weinberger |
| 25th United States Under Secretary of State | |
| In office January 23, 1969 – June 23, 1970 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Governor | John A. Volpe |
| Preceded by | Francis Bellotti |
| Succeeded by | Francis Sargent |
| United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | |
| In office 1959–1961 |
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| 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) |
| 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 |
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| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | |
Elliot Lee Richardson (July 20, 1920 – December 31, 1999) was an American lawyer and public servant. He worked for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
He is famous for being the only person to hold four different jobs in the U.S. Cabinet. These jobs included Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, and Secretary of Commerce. As Attorney General, he resigned during the Watergate Scandal. He refused President Nixon's order to fire a special investigator named Archibald Cox.
Contents
Elliot Richardson's Early Life and Military Service
Elliot Richardson was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His father was a doctor and a professor at Harvard Medical School. Elliot came from an old, important family in New England.
He went to schools in Massachusetts, including the Park School and Milton Academy. Later, he studied philosophy at Harvard College. He graduated in 1941.
Serving in World War II
In 1942, during World War II, Richardson joined the United States Army. He became a combat medic in the U.S. 4th Infantry Division.
On June 6, 1944, he took part in the Normandy Invasion (D-Day). He was a platoon leader and bravely crossed a minefield to help a fellow officer who was hurt. He received the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart for his service. He left the army in 1945 as a first lieutenant.
Education and Law Career
After the war, Richardson went to Harvard Law School and graduated in 1947. He worked for important judges, including Justice Felix Frankfurter of the Supreme Court of the United States.
He then joined a law firm in Boston. From 1959 to 1961, he served as the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts. Later, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and then Attorney General of Massachusetts. He was the last Republican to serve as Attorney General of Massachusetts as of 2023.
His older son, Henry S. Richardson, is a philosophy professor at Georgetown University.
Elliot Richardson's Cabinet Career
Elliot Richardson is one of only two people to have held four different jobs in the U.S. Cabinet. This means he worked in very important roles for the President.
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare
From 1970 to 1973, Richardson was the United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. In this role, he helped start the National High Blood Pressure Education Program in 1972. This program aimed to teach people about high blood pressure.
Secretary of Defense
On January 30, 1973, President Nixon chose Richardson to be the United States Secretary of Defense. This job meant he was in charge of the country's military. People saw him as a very good manager.
During his time as Secretary of Defense, he supported Nixon's plans for the U.S. military. He also looked for ways to save money, even closing some military bases. He believed that a strong military was important for the U.S. in international talks. He served in this role for about four months.
Attorney General and the Watergate Scandal
In May 1973, Richardson became the United States Attorney General. This job put him in charge of the country's legal system. Just five months later, he became a key figure in the Watergate Scandal.
President Nixon ordered Richardson to fire Archibald Cox, a special prosecutor investigating Watergate. Richardson had promised Congress he would not interfere with Cox's investigation. Rather than break his promise or obey the President, he resigned from his job on October 20, 1973.
Nixon then ordered Richardson's second-in-command, William Ruckelshaus, to fire Cox. Ruckelshaus also refused and resigned. Finally, the third-in-command, Robert Bork, carried out the order. These events are known as the Saturday Night Massacre. Richardson later persuaded Bork not to resign, so the Justice Department would still have a leader.
Later Cabinet Roles
After the Nixon administration, Richardson continued to serve the country. During President Gerald Ford's time in office, Richardson became the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1975 to 1976. This meant he was the top U.S. representative in the United Kingdom.
From 1976 to 1977, he served as the United States Secretary of Commerce. This role involved helping with business and trade in the U.S.
From 1977 to 1980, he worked for President Jimmy Carter. He was an Ambassador-at-Large and led the U.S. team for talks about the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This was about international rules for oceans.
Elliot Richardson's Later Life and Death
In 1984, Richardson ran for a U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts. However, he lost in the Republican primary election.
In 1998, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the highest award a civilian can get in the United States.
Elliot Richardson passed away on December 31, 1999, in Boston, at the age of 79. Many news outlets called him the "Watergate martyr" because he refused Nixon's order during the scandal.
Books Written by Elliot Richardson
Elliot Richardson also wrote two books:
- The Creative Balance: Government, Politics, and the Individual in America's Third Century (1976)
- Reflections of a Radical Moderate (1996)
Elliot Richardson in Popular Culture
A photo of Elliot Richardson is on the cover of the 2018 album Marauder by the rock band Interpol. The band's singer, Paul Banks, said Richardson was a hero for refusing to go against his own beliefs.
Images for kids
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Elliot Richardson (second from right on the bottom row) in a group photo of Nixon's cabinet on June 16, 1972.
See also
In Spanish: Elliot Richardson para niños
