[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 19015]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING MELVIN MARK RICHARDSON

 Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I wish to honor the life of Mel 
Richardson, an Idaho leader with a legacy in public service and 
broadcasting, who passed away last week.
  Mel Richardson's radio broadcasting career thankfully brought him and 
his wife of 61 years, Dixie, to Idaho more than six decades ago. And we 
are better for it. Over the span of his 62-year radio and television 
broadcasting career, Mel hosted several sports and public affairs 
programs and was a sportscaster for professional, college and high 
school athletics.
  He also devoted considerable time to public service. During the 
Korean war, he served in the Active Army Reserves and later was the 
first elected mayor of the City of Ammon, where he led significant 
public works projects, paving the way for the town's future progress. I 
was honored to serve in the Idaho State Legislature with him. During my 
time in the Idaho State Senate, he served in the Idaho House of 
Representatives, and was elected to the Idaho State Senate seat I 
vacated when I was elected to Congress in 1992. For 16 years, he served 
in the Idaho State Senate, where he utilized his position to expand 
education opportunities for Idaho students by furthering the adoption 
of technology in Idaho schools.
  Mel served our community and Idaho with civility and excellence. In 
addition to his tenure in the legislature, he served in numerous other 
positions. These included serving as director of Idaho Association of 
Cities; co-chairman of the Idaho Centennial Commission; Bonneville 
County Recreation commissioner; chairman of the American Family 
Institute; and chairman of the United Way. His exemplary work was 
recognized through numerous awards and honors that included being named 
Legislator of the Year by the Idaho State Republican Party, Idaho 
Library Association, State Farm Bureau and Idaho School Administrators.
  He was also active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day 
Saints, in which he served in numerous leadership positions. 
Additionally, he supported the Boy Scouts of America through which he 
was the recipient of the Silver Beaver Award of Merit. Mel also 
recognized the life lessons afforded in sports and instilled these 
values through coaching youth athletic teams.
  Mel welcomed me as a regular guest on the radio program he hosted 
with his son, Mark, who continues to host the talk show. I greatly 
admired Mel's openness in taking all sides of an issue into account, 
and his kindness and consideration. Mel had one of the greatest 
qualities: As his son, Todd, recognized, ``He could disagree with you 
without being disagreeable.'' I could always count on an interesting, 
thoughtful discussion, and I looked forward each week to our 
conversations.
  But among all those accomplishments and public accolades, Mel's pride 
and strength was found in his family and home. He and Dixie raised five 
children, who have all gone on to contribute to their own communities. 
He loved the time that he spent with them; in fact, he passed up some 
interesting career opportunities to ensure that he would be able to 
spend time with them. Mel's enthusiasm and joy in life can also be 
found in his 25 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren.
  I extend my deep condolences to Dixie, their children and his many 
family members and friends. We are all better for having known him, and 
his legacy of thoughtfulness, inclusiveness and devotion to furthering 
opportunities for others and Idaho's future will not be 
forgotten.

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