Former Missouri House Speaker Ron Richard Has Died at the Age of 75

Longtime Missouri lawmaker and former House Speaker Ron Richard has died at the age of 75.

The native of Parsons, Kansas earned a Bachelor of Arts from Missouri Southern State University in 1969 and a Master of Arts from Missouri State University in 1971.

He joined the House of Representatives in 2002 and served as Missouri House Speaker from 2009 to 2011.

Richard, a Republican, later became the first speaker in more than 100 years to be elected to the Missouri Senate.

When he served as Senate President Prom Tempore from 2015-2018, Richard became the first lawmaker in Missouri history to serve as the top leader in both the House and Senate.

Most recently, Richard was named to the MSSU Board of Governors and was Co-Chair of the Missouri Bicentennial Commission.