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Richard
D. Harrison
Herington, KS 1945
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Richard
D. Harrison was born on May 19, 1923, in Salt Lake City.
During
his service with the 39th Bomb Group (VH), he served with
Crew # 1 Replacement # 3 and Crew 10 as Pilot flying a total
of 38 missions. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Distinguished
Flying Cross.
After
military service, he received an undergraduate degree from
Stanford University and a law degree from the University
of Michigan. He worked in Washington DC as a special assistant
in the U.S. Department of Justice and then with a law firm
in Seattle, WA.
In
1953 he joined Fleming Companies, a large food marketing
and distribution firm, serving in numerous management positions.
In 1964, he was elected president. He served as president
and chief executive officer from 1966 to 1981, chairman
and chief executive officer from 1981 to 1988, and as chairman
until retiring in 1989.
Harrison
then served several additional years as honorary chairman
of the board. Under Mr. Harrison's leadership, Fleming achieved
remarkable growth to a position of national prominence in
the food distribution Industry. He served as a director
of The Quaker Oats Company, Chicago, Kerr-McGee Corporation,
Oklahoma City, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
He was president of the Super Market Institute, chairman
of the Independent Grocers' Alliance (IGA) and chairman
of the National American Wholesale Grocers' Association
(NAWGA).
In
1989, Dick received the Herbert Hoover Award from NAWGA
for lifelong service to the food industry. He also was a
director of the Food Marketing Institute.
He
was very active in business, educational and charitable
organizations and in 1988 was inducted into the Oklahoma
Hall of Fame. He served as president of the Oklahoma City
Chamber of Commerce and as a trustee of the Dean A. McGee
Eye Institute, Oklahoma City University and Oklahoma Christian
College. Both of these educational institutions awarded
him honorary doctorate degrees. He also was a trustee of
the University of Utah. He served as campaign chairman of
the Allied Arts Foundation and the United Way of Oklahoma
City. He was chairman of the Oklahoma Art Center and a director
of the lntegris Health, Inc., the Oklahoma Health Sciences
Foundation, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and the
Metropolitan YMCA. He was a director of the National Legal
Center for the Public Interest and was honored by the National
Conference of Christians and Jews.
Dick
had five daughters, Amy Wellington of Oklahoma City, Leslie
Harrison of Alexandria, VA, Julie Cox of Leedey, OK, Susan
Hart of Stillwater, OK, Alyse Marlatt of Atlanta, Ga. and
a son, Richard D. Harrison, Jr. of Oklahoma City and nine
grandchildren.
Richard
D. Harrison died at the age of 75 on August 19, 1998.
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