Richard Mellon Scaife

1932 - 2014

Richard Mellon Scaife

1932 - 2014

BORN

1932

DIED

2014

Richard Mellon Scaife Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Jul. 7, 2014.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Richard Mellon Scaife, the billionaire heir to the Mellon banking and oil fortune and a newspaper publisher who funded libertarian and conservative causes and various projects to discredit President Bill Clinton, has died. He was 82.

Scaife died early Friday at his home, his newspaper, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, reported. Scaife's death comes less than two months after he announced in a first-person, front-page story in his Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he had an untreatable form of cancer.

"Some who dislike me may rejoice at the news," wrote Scaife, who acknowledged making political and other enemies. "Naturally, I can't share their enthusiasm."

He was the grand-nephew of Andrew Mellon, a banker and secretary of the Treasury who was involved with some of the biggest industrial companies of the early 20th century. Forbes magazine estimated Scaife's net worth in 2013 at $1.4 billion.

The intensely private Scaife became widely known in the 1990s when first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton said her husband was being attacked by a "vast right-wing conspiracy." White House staffers and other supporters suggested Scaife was playing a central role in the attack.

Several foundations controlled by Scaife gave millions of dollars to organizations run by critics of Clinton, including $1.7 million for a project at the conservative American Spectator magazine to dig up information about his role in the Whitewater real estate scandal.

Scaife rarely gave interviews, but in a sit-down with George magazine editor John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1998, he called President Clinton "an embarrassment."

In the interview, Scaife denied that his money helped support an effort to hurt the president, but he suggested Clinton might be linked to the deaths of dozens of administration officials and associates, including White House Deputy Counsel Vince Foster and onetime Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. Foster's death was determined to be a suicide; Brown died in a plane crash.

Scaife also accused Kenneth Starr, the independent counsel whose investigation led to Clinton's impeachment in the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, to be a "mole working for the Democrats."

Scaife's stance toward the Clintons softened years later. In an interview published in early 2008, he told Vanity Fair magazine he and the former president had a "very pleasant" lunch the previous summer, and "I never met such a charismatic man in my whole life."

Clinton gave Scaife an autographed copy of his book, and Scaife said he later sent $100,000 to the Clinton Global Initiative. (Scaife also said philandering "is something that Bill Clinton and I have in common.")

Scaife's newspaper also endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton's bid for president in 2008.

Despite funding many causes dear to conservatives, Scaife was libertarian on many social issues. He supported Planned Parenthood and abortion rights, supported legalizing same-sex marriage and marijuana, and opposed the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Scaife bought the Tribune-Review in suburban Pittsburgh in 1969, using its editorial pages to trumpet his views.

"I fell in love with newspapers as a boy, when my father bought me editions from around the country and abroad," Scaife told readers in the column announcing his cancer diagnosis. "The day I became a newspaper publisher, buying the Tribune-Review, remains one of the proudest, happiest moments of my life."

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett said in a statement Friday that Scaife's passing "marks the departure of a man whose vision and generosity shaped the city's progress and our nation's course." He said his contributions helped to preserve Pittsburgh's landmarks.

Corbett also cited Scaife's investment in think tanks that he said "reshaped our nation's political dialogue and delivered the opening salvos in the Reagan revolution, replacing tired nostrums with vigorous new ideas for progress."

Scaife was a longtime supporter of Republicans, backing presidential candidate Barry Goldwater in 1964 and heavily funding the 1968 campaign of Richard Nixon.

In 1972, Scaife donated $1 million to Nixon in 334 separate checks to avoid paying gift taxes. After The Associated Press wrote a story about the money, Scaife insisted the Tribune-Review get rid of its AP service.

"He ordered us to come in and take out the wire machines that night," Pat Minarcin, then AP's Pittsburgh bureau chief, told The Wall Street Journal for a 1995 story.

Scaife also made headlines in recent years during a bitter divorce battle with Margaret Ritchie Battle Scaife, his second wife. The divorce was finalized in 2012. His first marriage, to Frances Gilmore Scaife, also ended in divorce.

A Pittsburgh native, Richard Mellon Scaife was born in 1932, the son of Sarah Cordelia Mellon and Alan Magee Scaife. His mother was an alcoholic, and his upbringing has been described as cold and unhappy. He and his sister were raised by nannies.

He went to Yale but was expelled during his freshman year after a he rolled a beer keg down a flight of stairs, breaking the legs of a classmate, according to a 1999 story in The Washington Post.

Scaife admitted to becoming an alcoholic, and he had a reputation for having a fiery temper. He reportedly quit drinking in 1990 after going to the Betty Ford Clinic.

The Tribune-Review reported Scaife is survived by a daughter, Jennie K. Scaife, a son, David N. Scaife, a daughter-in-law, Sara Scaife; and two grandchildren.

The newspaper reported that a private memorial service would be held at a later date.

JOE MANDAK, Associated Press




Copyright © 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Sign Richard Mellon Scaife's Guest Book

Not sure what to say?

April 23, 2019

Nellie Sindlinger posted to the memorial.

July 4, 2017

Lea Mason posted to the memorial.

July 13, 2014

Gary Staggers posted to the memorial.

25 Entries

Nellie Sindlinger

April 23, 2019

Will be missed with everyone who knew him and his great mind and personality. He was interested in politics and became a contributor to honest survey work to get opinions from Americans. God bless you

Lea Mason

July 4, 2017

May the God of all comfort,be with the family and friends of Richard M.Scaif, to comfort them in their time of need.

Gary Staggers

July 13, 2014

Rest in Peace Dick you will be missed very much!!!

Ray Allen

July 12, 2014

Sympathy & kindest regards to the Scaife family & very many friends wherever they may be. God bless 1 & all. I noted Rob Gleason's fine eulogy & relate to it. After all these years, we are old school folks who read more than 1 paper every day, sometimes getting out of bed not knowing what will arouse our curiosity.

michelle plakas-kaiser

July 11, 2014

rip

Wilson

July 10, 2014

May you continue to feel comforted by the love and support of family and friends. Remember that the God of all comfort will help you through this difficult time.

KEN&MARY O'DANIEL

July 9, 2014

WE ARE SENDING OUR LOVE,PRAYERS&CONDOLENCES TO THE SCAIFE FAMILY,FRIENDS&ALL WHO KNEW MR. SCAIFE.

R

July 9, 2014

My sincere condolences to the family

God word promises a grand time when all sickness and death will no longer be.

July 9, 2014

Rest in peace until the God of all tender mercy will call, and you yourself will answer... what a day that will be!!!
Ag nc

July 9, 2014

My condolences to the Scaife family. May you find comfort from God's word recorded at Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 regarding the loss of your love one.

July 9, 2014

I send my condolences to the Scaife family. May God comfort you during your time of grief.

A R

July 9, 2014

I'm sorry for your loss. God promises us that there will come a victory over death.

July 9, 2014

May loving memories warm your heart and may the God of comfort strengthen you in your time of loss.

July 9, 2014

May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.

Dwayne Bickham

July 9, 2014

In God's care rest in peace

Ray Allen

July 8, 2014

Sympathy & kindest regards to the Scaife family & very many friends wherever they may be. God bless 1 & all. Take care.

joaquim-r-redeemer-my heart barbosa

July 8, 2014

condolences-peace

July 8, 2014

May the Scaife family know that the God of all comfort can help you to endure your loss. He can be a stronghold and a refuge during your time of distress. (Psalm 91:2) I offer my condolences to the family.

d k

July 8, 2014

Sorry for the loss of your dear loved one. Please find comfort in Jesus words. "He will swallow up death forever, and he will wipe the tears from all faces."

Pat Taylor

July 8, 2014

Even though we never met, my prayers are with the family. Those of us who do not run in the big circles still care for those who do. God Bless your family.

Taylor

July 8, 2014

My condolences to the Schaif family.

July 8, 2014

MAY THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT BE WITH ALL WHO KNEW AND LOVED HIM, -2COR.1:3

TE

July 8, 2014

I am so sorry for your loss. May God's comfort be with during the difficult days and months ahead.
2 Cor 1:3-5

Showing 1 - 25 of 25 results

Make a Donation
in Richard Mellon Scaife's name

How to support Richard's loved ones
Honor a beloved veteran with a special tribute of ‘Taps’ at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.

Read more
Attending a Funeral: What to Know

You have funeral questions, we have answers.

Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?

What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?

Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?

We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.

Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
Estate Settlement Guide

If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast

Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.

Read more
The Five Stages of Grief

They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.

Read more
Ways to honor Richard Mellon Scaife's life and legacy
Obituary Examples

You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.

Read more
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituary Templates – Customizable Examples and Samples

These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.

Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?

Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.

Read more

Sponsored

Sign Richard Mellon Scaife's Guest Book

Not sure what to say?

April 23, 2019

Nellie Sindlinger posted to the memorial.

July 4, 2017

Lea Mason posted to the memorial.

July 13, 2014

Gary Staggers posted to the memorial.