Richard O. Simpson was an American businessman and entrepreneur who became the first chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
- Died: July 21, 2023 (Who else died on July 21?)
- Details of death: Died in DeLand, Florida, at the age of 93.
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Richard O. Simpson’s legacy
Born to a poor family in Independence, Missouri, Simpson grew up on public assistance and was the first in his family (including eight siblings) to graduate from high school. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, then attended the University of California, where he earned his bachelor’s in electrical engineering in 1956. Simpson was a success in business, founding a company that specialized in naval electronics and weapon systems, as well as serving as vice president for the electronics firm the Rucker Company.
Simpson went to work at the U.S. Commerce Department in 1969 and, a few years later, was appointed by President Richard Nixon to head the newly created Consumer Product Safety Commission, a position he held until 1975. There, he surprised fellow manufacturers by being an advocate for consumer safety. In his very first vote, he refused to delay creating new standards for mattress flammability. He backed regulations on butane lighters, child-resistant caps on medicine bottles, safety measures for toys and vehicles, and more. He even proposed an outright ban on the sale of cigarettes after the surgeon general declared smoking to be a health hazard.
Despite this, Simpson, a Republican, did not categorize himself as pro-consumer. Rather, he said he was “pro in-the-reduction-of-risk,” seeking to balance the needs of business and manufacturing with the protection of consumers. He returned to the private sector in 1975 and would go on to author the book “The Quest for Safer Products” (2016).
Notable quote
“Our mission isn’t to eliminate all risk, but all unreasonable risk.”—to Rep. Jamie Whitten (D-Miss.) during a Congressional budget hearing
Tributes to Richard O. Simpson
Full obituary: The Washington Post
