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Richard Riordan
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Richard Riordan
Richard Joseph Riordan (May 1, 1930 – April 19, 2023) was an American businessman, investor, military commander, philanthropist, and politician. A decorated Korean War veteran and a member of the Republican Party, Riordan served as the 39th mayor of Los Angeles from 1993 to 2001; he remains the most recent Republican to hold that office. He ran for governor in the 2002 California gubernatorial election, losing the Republican primary. After politics, he resumed his business career, specializing in private equity. Riordan was considered a Moderate Republican.
Riordan was born on May 1, 1930, in Flushing, Queens, to an Irish-American family, the son of Geraldine (Doyle) and William O. Riordan. He was the youngest of their nine children. After growing up in New Rochelle, New York, he first enrolled at Santa Clara University on a football scholarship, but transferred to Princeton University, where he graduated in 1952 with an A.B. in philosophy. His senior thesis was titled "A Study of the Thomistic Faculty Psychology." He then served in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant during the Korean War. After leaving the military, he earned a J.D. from The University of Michigan Law School in 1956.
That year, he moved to Los Angeles, joining the downtown law firm of O'Melveny & Myers. In 1959, he left to become a partner of Nossaman LLP. In 1975, he was a founding partner of the law firm Riordan & McKinzie, which merged with Bingham McCutchen in 2003.
Riordan began investing in the 1950s with an $80,000 inheritance from his father, which he eventually grew into a multimillion dollar fortune. In 1982, he was a founder of the private equity firm Riordan, Lewis & Haden. As a philanthropist, he founded the Riordan Foundation, a charity for expanding childhood literacy.
When Tom Bradley announced he was retiring as Mayor of Los Angeles after 20 years in office, Riordan set his sights on the 1993 election. Riordan won with 54% of the vote over Los Angeles City Councilman Michael Woo, becoming the first Republican mayor in 36 years. As Mayor, the heavily Democratic Los Angeles City Council blocked many of his proposals, or they proved unfeasible in reality. For example, the police academy did not have enough classroom space or instructors to train as many new police officers as Riordan had initially promised. He streamlined certain business regulations and established "one-stop" centers around the city for services, like permit applications.
Riordan feuded with police chief Daryl Gates' successor, former Philadelphia police commissioner Willie Williams, but oversaw a general decline in city crime. Ultimately, Riordan replaced Williams with LAPD veteran Bernard Parks in 1997, the year he was easily re-elected mayor over controversial state Senator Tom Hayden.
Riordan's tenure was marked by controversy over the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Red Line subway's construction cost overruns. Because the overruns resulted in MTA funds being reallocated from bus funding, the Bus Riders Union sued the city, alleging racial discrimination, resulting in a 1996 consent decree that eviscerated MTA funding for subway and light rail construction projects. Riordan publicly stated that he regretted signing the consent decree and it was his biggest mistake as mayor.
Before becoming mayor, Riordan spearheaded the city's successful term limit ballot initiative and he was therefore term-limited from office in 2001. Riordan endorsed his adviser and friend, Steve Soboroff, to succeed him. Soboroff, however, came in third in the non-partisan mayoral primary election. Former California State Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa advanced to the runoff against Los Angeles City Attorney James Hahn. Riordan endorsed Villaraigosa in the second round, but Hahn won and succeeded him as mayor. Four years later, Villaraigosa defeated Hahn in the 2005 rematch and became Mayor.
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Richard Riordan
Richard Joseph Riordan (May 1, 1930 – April 19, 2023) was an American businessman, investor, military commander, philanthropist, and politician. A decorated Korean War veteran and a member of the Republican Party, Riordan served as the 39th mayor of Los Angeles from 1993 to 2001; he remains the most recent Republican to hold that office. He ran for governor in the 2002 California gubernatorial election, losing the Republican primary. After politics, he resumed his business career, specializing in private equity. Riordan was considered a Moderate Republican.
Riordan was born on May 1, 1930, in Flushing, Queens, to an Irish-American family, the son of Geraldine (Doyle) and William O. Riordan. He was the youngest of their nine children. After growing up in New Rochelle, New York, he first enrolled at Santa Clara University on a football scholarship, but transferred to Princeton University, where he graduated in 1952 with an A.B. in philosophy. His senior thesis was titled "A Study of the Thomistic Faculty Psychology." He then served in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant during the Korean War. After leaving the military, he earned a J.D. from The University of Michigan Law School in 1956.
That year, he moved to Los Angeles, joining the downtown law firm of O'Melveny & Myers. In 1959, he left to become a partner of Nossaman LLP. In 1975, he was a founding partner of the law firm Riordan & McKinzie, which merged with Bingham McCutchen in 2003.
Riordan began investing in the 1950s with an $80,000 inheritance from his father, which he eventually grew into a multimillion dollar fortune. In 1982, he was a founder of the private equity firm Riordan, Lewis & Haden. As a philanthropist, he founded the Riordan Foundation, a charity for expanding childhood literacy.
When Tom Bradley announced he was retiring as Mayor of Los Angeles after 20 years in office, Riordan set his sights on the 1993 election. Riordan won with 54% of the vote over Los Angeles City Councilman Michael Woo, becoming the first Republican mayor in 36 years. As Mayor, the heavily Democratic Los Angeles City Council blocked many of his proposals, or they proved unfeasible in reality. For example, the police academy did not have enough classroom space or instructors to train as many new police officers as Riordan had initially promised. He streamlined certain business regulations and established "one-stop" centers around the city for services, like permit applications.
Riordan feuded with police chief Daryl Gates' successor, former Philadelphia police commissioner Willie Williams, but oversaw a general decline in city crime. Ultimately, Riordan replaced Williams with LAPD veteran Bernard Parks in 1997, the year he was easily re-elected mayor over controversial state Senator Tom Hayden.
Riordan's tenure was marked by controversy over the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Red Line subway's construction cost overruns. Because the overruns resulted in MTA funds being reallocated from bus funding, the Bus Riders Union sued the city, alleging racial discrimination, resulting in a 1996 consent decree that eviscerated MTA funding for subway and light rail construction projects. Riordan publicly stated that he regretted signing the consent decree and it was his biggest mistake as mayor.
Before becoming mayor, Riordan spearheaded the city's successful term limit ballot initiative and he was therefore term-limited from office in 2001. Riordan endorsed his adviser and friend, Steve Soboroff, to succeed him. Soboroff, however, came in third in the non-partisan mayoral primary election. Former California State Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa advanced to the runoff against Los Angeles City Attorney James Hahn. Riordan endorsed Villaraigosa in the second round, but Hahn won and succeeded him as mayor. Four years later, Villaraigosa defeated Hahn in the 2005 rematch and became Mayor.
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