Quick Facts
Biography
Hubert Leon "Bill" Richardson (born December 28, 1927) founded Gun Owners of America (GOA) in 1975 and served as a California state senator from 1966–1989. He served as the state senate's Republican Caucus Chair for several of these years. He was also the unsuccessful Republican candidate for the United States Senate in 1974, having been defeated by incumbent Alan Cranston. He ran for Congress in 1962 and again in 1992, having lost 51-40 percent to the Democrat Vic Fazio, member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 3rd congressional district.
Richardson was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1927 and served in the United States Navy in World War II. He was educated at Olympic College and the Cornish Conservatory, both in Seattle, Washington. He is the father of action-film screenwriter Doug Richardson.