Download Scholarship Application Deadline May 28, 2026

Background

"Opening doors." That is what Richard "Dick" French said during an interview when he was asked what he would like to be remembered for most. He wanted to be remembered for opening doors for other American Indians. And, so it shall be. This is exactly what my friend, former boss, and colleague on the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Board of Directors did for me.

I was saddened by the sudden passing of Dick who was no stranger to Indian forestry. Dick and my relationship was cast long ago as he and my father and uncles fought fires together on the Yakama Reservation. Dick kept an eye on me through my college years and as I started my career in Washington State, and eventually he weighed in to open those doors.

When it was time to move my career back in direction of Indian Country, it was Dick who came forward in 1988 to recruit me for an assignment with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Portland, Oregon - door number one swung wide open. I could tell from the start that he had AISES firmly embedded in his heart. He was even clever enough to write into my job description a component requiring that I stay abreast of community issues through involvement in professional societies including AISES - a second door opened.

After both doors swung open new doors awaited. On the AISES front, after my first conference in Dallas (1988), Dick gave me the freedom to get more involved through the Leadership Conferences by serving on the Board of Directors, and subsequently, with his support as Chairman of the Board. In 1990, I emerged from my job with the BIA through the door that marked my move home to work for the Nez Perce Tribe, and in May 1996, I was elected to the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee.

Many people travel through our lives touching us in different ways. Some lift our spirit, others may break our heart. There are some who offer a shoulder of support. Some give us direction by clearing a path for us to follow. There are also those, like Dick French, who help us find our own opportunities by opening new doors for us to pass through.

Dick French founded the Lower Columbia/Willamette River Professional AISES Chapter in 1995.

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