Richard Bryan

For other people named Richard Bryan, see Richard Bryan (disambiguation).

The Honorable Richard Bryan
File:Richard Bryan.jpg
United States Senator from Nevada
In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Chic Hecht
Succeeded by	John Ensign
Chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Terry Sanford
Succeeded by	Mitch McConnell
25th Governor of Nevada
In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1989
Lieutenant	Bob Cashell Bob Miller
Preceded by	Robert List
Succeeded by	Bob Miller
27th Attorney General of Nevada
In office January 1, 1979 – January 3, 1983
Governor	Robert List
Preceded by	Robert List
Succeeded by	Brian McKay
Personal details
Born	Richard Hudson Bryan (1937-07-16) July 16, 1937 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Bonnie Fairchild
Residence	Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Profession	Attorney and politician

Richard Hudson "Dick" Bryan (born July 16, 1937) is an American attorney and politician. He served as the 25th Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada from 1983 to 1989 and as a United States Senator from Nevada from 1989 to 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life

Bryan was born in Washington, D.C. and graduated from the University of Nevada at Reno in 1959 where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. He earned his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. In 1963 he was admitted to the Nevada Bar.

Political career

1972–1989

Bryan served as a member of the Nevada Senate from 1972 to 1978. In 1979, Bryan became the Nevada Attorney General, and served in the position until 1983. Bryan was the Governor of Nevada from 1983 to 1989.

U.S. Senate (1989–2001)

After that, he represented Nevada in the U.S. Senate from 1989 until 2001. Bryan served on the following Senate Committees: Finance, Banking, Vice Chairman-U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and Commerce. He chose not to run for re-election in 2000.

Bryan was an opponent of SETI and introduced an amendment to the 1994 budget that secured the cancellation of the High Resolution Microwave Survey and terminated NASA's SETI efforts. NASA criticized Bryan for his implacable opposition to its SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program, especially because Bryan ignored the meeting requests from NASA staff.

External links

• Richard Bryan at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• A Guide to the U.S. Senatorial Papers of Richard H. Bryan, University of Nevada, Reno, Special Collections.
• How Richard Bryan destroyed the NASA's SETI project
• Richard H Bryan's current professional page

Legal offices
Preceded by Robert List	Attorney General of Nevada January 1, 1979 – January 3, 1983	Succeeded by Brian McKay
Political offices
Preceded by Robert List	Governor of Nevada January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1989	Succeeded by Bob Miller
Preceded by Terry Sanford	Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995	Succeeded by Mitch McConnell
United States Senate
Preceded by Chic Hecht	U.S. Senator (Class 1) from Nevada January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2001 Served alongside: Harry Reid	Succeeded by John Ensign