Gov. Richard H. Bryan

About

RICHARD H. BRYAN was born in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada at Reno, and served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve. Bryan earned his law degree from the University of California, Hasting College of Law. He was admitted to the Nevada Bar in 1963 and was appointed deputy district attorney in Clark County in 1964. He served as prosecutor for two years and in 1966 became Nevada’s first public defender and the youngest public defender in the nation. In 1968, he became legal counsel for the Clark County Juvenile Court. The same year, he was elected to the Nevada Assembly from District 4 in Clark County and went on to serve a second term. He won election to the State Senate in 1972, was reelected in 1976, serving as chair of the Taxation Committee and the Education Committee. He was elected Nevada attorney general in 1978. He was elected governor of Nevada in 1982 and reelected in 1986. During his tenure, he served as president of the Council of State Governments. He resigned as governor in 1989 after winning election to the U.S. Senate. He currently practices law with Lionel Sawyer & Collins.

Source

Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress

Nevada State Library and Archives: Nevada Governors' Biographical Information