Richard L. Berkley
Encyclopedia
Richard L. Berkley served as mayor
of Kansas City
, Missouri
, U.S.
, from 1979 to 1991.
Although Kansas City mayors do not officially have political affiliations, Mayor Berkley was the first Republican
mayor of the city since the 1920s. He was also the city's first Jewish
mayor (although he did not publicly acknowledge this) and served longer than any other mayor in Kansas City history.
During his term he led the calls for a federal investigation into the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse
in 1981. More than 700 capital improvement projects occurred during his term, including a major expansion of Bartle Hall Convention Center
and revitalization of the Quality Hill
neighborhood.
Berkley received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1957.
The Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park on Front Street along the Missouri River
near the Paseo Bridge (I-35) is named for him.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from 1979 to 1991.
Although Kansas City mayors do not officially have political affiliations, Mayor Berkley was the first Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
mayor of the city since the 1920s. He was also the city's first Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
mayor (although he did not publicly acknowledge this) and served longer than any other mayor in Kansas City history.
During his term he led the calls for a federal investigation into the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse
Hyatt Regency walkway collapse
The Hyatt Regency hotel walkway collapse was a collapse of an interior suspended skywalk system that occurred on July 17, 1981, in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, killing 114 people and injuring 216 others during a tea dance. At the time, it was the deadliest structural collapse in U.S...
in 1981. More than 700 capital improvement projects occurred during his term, including a major expansion of Bartle Hall Convention Center
Bartle Hall Convention Center
Bartle Hall Convention Center is a major exposition hall in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It is named for Harold Roe Bartle, a prominent, two-term mayor of Kansas City in the 1950s and early 1960s...
and revitalization of the Quality Hill
Quality Hill
Quality Hill is a historic neighborhood near downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA, situated on a 200-foot-high bluff which overlooks the confluence of the Kansas River and Missouri River in the West Bottoms below....
neighborhood.
Berkley received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1957.
The Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park on Front Street along the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
near the Paseo Bridge (I-35) is named for him.