Richard Lee Crawford

CRAWFORD, RICHARD (1951 ~ ) Rick Crawford is an Amarillo, Texas native who was born March 6, 1951. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in business in 1976.

He was active in the real estate business during college and, upon graduation, continued his real estate career. Between 1976 and 1988, he brokered and developed properties in over 40 cities in the six states of Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. He remains an active real estate investor today.

In 1988, he made his first attempt at public office and won election to the Texas House of Representatives. He represented House District 87, which was comprised of Potter County. He was unopposed in his 1990 re-election, but left office after his second term in January 1993.

That month, he became a special assistant to the newly elected House Speaker James E. "Pete" Laney, a post he held for 2 and a half years. While serving on the Speaker's staff, Crawford coordinated and monitored legislative affairs, oversaw the Capitol Restoration Project on behalf of the House of Representatives, and served as the Speaker's representative on the Texas Bond Review Board.

In September of 1995, Mr. Crawford became Executive Director of the State Preservation Board, which was chaired by Governor George W. Bush and co-vice chaired by Lt. Governor Rick Perry and Speaker Laney. The agency's mission is to preserve, maintain, and restore the grounds and contents of the State Capitol and the 1857 General Land Office Building.

The 75th Legislature directed the agency to construct Texas State History Museum. The 76th Legislature expanded the State Preservation Board's responsibilities to include operating the Museum, and also renamed the facility The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Information and biography provided by Rick Crawford.