Richard Ellison Carver (August 28, 1937 – May 5, 2023) was an American politician who served as

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Peoria, Illinois, from 1973 to 1984 and United States

Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management & Comptroller) The Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller (SAF/FM) is a civilian official in the United States Department of the Air Force. Responsibilities According to U.S. law, there are five civilian Assistant Se ...

from 1984 to 1988.

Biography

Carver was born in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, on August 28, 1937."Nomination of Richard E. Carver To Be an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force", Aug. 11, 1984
/ref> He was educated at

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. Th ...

, graduating with a

B.S. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...

in business administration in 1959, and was named a distinguished graduate in 1983. After college, Carver became president of the Carver Lumber Company in Peoria, Illinois. He also served in the Air Force Reserve Command, eventually attaining the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

. In 1969, Carver was elected to the Peoria

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

.Profile from OurCampaigns.com
/ref> After four years on City Council, Carver was elected

of Peoria on April 3, 1973. He was re-elected on April 5, 1977. During his second term in office, he served as president of the

United States Conference of Mayors The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayors or other chief elected officials. The organization was founded i ...

1979–80 and president of the National Conference of Republican Mayors."Appointments & Nominations, June 17, 1981"
/ref> In 1980, he was a candidate to be United States Senator from Illinois, but lost the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

primary to

Dave O'Neal David C. O’Neal (January 24, 1937 – July 10, 2021) was an American politician who served as the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 1977 to 1981. For six years he served as Saint Clair County Sheriff, the first Republican to hold tha ...

. He was re-elected to a third term as Mayor of Peoria on April 7, 1981, and subsequently held that office until 1984. On April 14, 1978,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

named Carver to a member of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernal Affairs, and on June 17, 1981,

Ronald Reagan named Carver a member of the President's Commission on Housing, a position he held until 1984. On August 11, 1984, President Reagan nominated Carver to be

. Carver subsequently held this office until 1988. Upon leaving government service in 1988, Carver became the president of ZF Industries while continuing to own Carver Lumber Company.Profile from Bloomberg BusinessWeek
/ref> He became President and CEO of MST America in January 1995. From November 1998 to April 2000, he was President and CEO of RPP America. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Competitive Technologies, Inc. from 2000 to 2007. Carver Arena, a multi-purpose arena located in the

Peoria Civic Center Peoria Civic Center is an entertainment complex located in downtown Peoria, Illinois. Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Philip Johnson and John Burgee, it has an arena, theater, exhibit hall and meeting rooms. It opened in 1982 and ...

, is named after Carver. The first stages of the convention center were built during his tenure as Mayor. Carver died on May 5, 2023, at the age of 85.Former Peoria Mayor Richard Carver, who helped pave way for Civic Center, dies
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carver, Richard E. 1937 births 2023 deaths American chief executives Bradley University alumni Peoria, Illinois City Council members Illinois Republicans Politicians from Des Moines, Iowa Mayors of Peoria, Illinois United States Air Force officers Presidents of the United States Conference of Mayors Military personnel from Illinois Military personnel from Iowa