Bill Richardson
Bill Richardson was an American politician, diplomat, and author whose career moved across several distinct spheres of public life over more than four decades.
Born on November 15, 1947, in Pasadena, Richardson was educated at Middlesex School before going on to Tufts University and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. That academic grounding in international affairs prefigured a career that would carry him well beyond domestic politics. At some point he also played baseball, a pursuit that stood apart from the institutional roles that would later define him.
Richardson served as a U.S. congressman before ascending to a series of prominent posts within the federal government. During the Clinton administration he served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and subsequently as Secretary of Energy. He chaired the 2004 Democratic National Convention and also served as chair of the Democratic Governors Association, positions that placed him at the organizational center of his party during consequential years. His longest continuous tenure in elected office came as the 30th Governor of New Mexico, a post he held from 2003 to 2011. Beyond elected and appointed office, he worked as a business consultant and was recognized as an author. His diplomatic contributions earned him recognition outside the United States as well: he received the Order of the Aztec Eagle and the Ohtli Award, both Mexican honors, along with the Theodore Roosevelt Award.
Richardson died on September 1, 2023, in Chatham. His career traced a path from legislative service through the highest levels of executive diplomacy, and the recurring thread across that path was engagement with international affairs — a commitment apparent from his early education at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy through his ambassadorship to the United Nations and the foreign-facing dimensions of his later work as a diplomat and consultant.
Quotes by Bill Richardson
Bill Richardson's insights on:
The conversation progressed, bumper-car style, to a very heated discussion about death and the survival of the soul. It amazes me that we, as a species, can argue so fervently over something that is, when all is said and done, unknowable and unprovable. Nonetheless, we all arrive at conclusions and cleave to our certainties: that there is nothing but the Void; or that we will find ourselves writing an admissions exam at the Pearly Gates.
We must never forget that it is the private sector – not government – that is the engine of economic opportunity. Businesses, particularly small businesses, flourish and can provide good jobs when government acts as a productive partner.
And so we became who we are: gentle and bookish and ever so slightly confused. It is not a bad way to be, when all is said and done.
Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, our nation is stronger when we are respected throughout the world.
I think what’s going to hurt the Republicans enormously is the extremist position of Mitt Romney on the immigration issue and states like New Mexico, states like Colorado, Nevada, Arizona – and I think it’s going to be the margin of victory for President Obama, a very narrow victory.
I’ve been told that I have a lot of energy. The secret is that I use renewable resources. Some days I’m solar powered. Some days I’m wind powered. And some people in this room might think I’m hybrid gas-powered. You’ll just have to guess which it is today.
I’m not a big believer in doing things unilaterally. I’m a big believer in opening up a dialogue and figuring out how we can make something work for all people.
As state leaders, I think its important for us to provide our perspectives on issues we face every day – like access to school spending, access to health care and governing in a global economy.
