Richard Williams

Richard Williams, now retired, is the former District Manager for the General Services Administration Public Buildings Service for the state of Oklahoma. GSA is responsible for all of the federal buildings in the country, and he began his career with them in 1976.  His responsibilities included operating the A.P. Murrah Federal Building when it opened in 1977. Later, his responsibility encompassed over 3 million square feet of property including government-owned and leased property throughout the state of Oklahoma and parts of Texas. During his 27 years of service with GSA, he was directly or indirectly responsible for the A.P. Murrah Federal Building, and for the Murrah Building site, plaza, and parking garage.

Richard is a survivor of the bombing on April 19th, 1995. He was in his office on the first floor of the Murrah Building. Severely injured, he underwent several surgeries and months of physical therapy. After returning to work, Richard became very involved in the memorial process. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation and numerous committees for the building of the memorial. Nearest his heart is his work on the committee which drafted the Mission Statement from which all aspects of the Memorial are patterned. Richard was selected by President Clinton and then again by President Bush to serve on the nine-member Trust, which had oversight of the construction of the outdoor symbolic memorial, and the operations of the Memorial, the Memorial Museum, and the Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism.

Following the events of 9/11/2001, Richard became involved with the World Trade Center Survivors Network, working with them in their healing process. He served on their steering committee.

In 2015, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest honor presented by the Daughters of the American Revolution. He was recognized by the DAR in Texas for his leadership, trustworthiness, service and patriotism in sharing his lesson of a positive outlook even in the aftermath of tragedy.

Richard, a native Oklahoman, served in Vietnam in 1967 and '68. He and his wife, Lynne, are the proud parents of two sons and have four grandchildren. His life has always been a busy one with involvement in youth sports coaching basketball and baseball for fourteen years. In 2005, he and Lynne moved to Texas to be near their grandchildren.  He

continues to speak to school groups, civic organizations, and church groups about his experience and the hope that has kept him strong.