Richard Bryan

For the English rugby union player see Richard Bryan (rugby union)

Richard Bryan
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
25thGovernor of Nevada
In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1989
Preceded by	Robert List
Succeeded by	Bob Miller
Nevada Attorney General
In office 1979 – 1983
Governor	Robert List
Preceded by	Robert List
Succeeded by	Brian McKay
Born	July 16, 1937 (1937-07-16) (age 72) Washington, D.C.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Bonnie Fairchild
Profession	Attorney

Richard Hudson "Dick" Bryan (born July 16, 1937) was Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada and a United States Senator from Nevada. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

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.^{[citation needed]} He earned his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. In 1963 he was admitted to the Nevada Bar.

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 between 1983 and 1989. After that, he represented Nevada in the U.S. Senate from 1989 until 2001. He chose not to run for re-election in 2000. The seat was won by Republican John Ensign.

Senator Bryan managed to kill NASA's SETI project for the scientific search of extraterrestrial civilizations against the opinion of thousands of scientists, including Carl Sagan, and several Nobel prize winners. "The Great Martian Chase," he said, "may finally come to an end. As of today millions have been spent and we have yet to bag a single little green fellow. Not a single Martian has said take me to your leader, and not a single flying saucer has applied for FAA approval."

References

• Richard Bryan at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• How Richard Bryan destroyed the NASA's SETI project
• Richard H Bryan's current professional page

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