Richard L. Stimson photograph collection, 1944-2014

Richard Lewis "Dick" Stimson (1925-2014) was born on October 15, 1925, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Edna D. and William H. Stimson. He attended Roosevelt Junior High and East High School, graduating in 1943. Stimson immediately enrolled at the University of Utah and in the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) in order to study engineering. Through this program, he transferred to Stanford University to study engineering; shortly after however, the Army cancelled the ASTP program and Stimson was drafted into the Army to serve in World War II. A member of the Fox Company, 398th Regiment of the 100th Infantry Division, Stimson achieved the rank of Private First Class. He was injured in battle in France, for which he was awarded both the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

Stimson returned to the University of Utah after his army service, graduating in 1949 with a degree in business marketing. He worked in insurance and sales and excelled in independent investing. Stimson never married, and after retirement he began volunteering at the University of Utah hospital and at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center. In addition to his volunteer service, Stimson was a Mason and was active in veteran groups, including the 100th Infantry Division “Sons of Bitche,” named after a town in France where the division engaged in both offensive and defensive battles. Stimson was honored for both his war service and his volunteer work. In 2005, the University of Utah honored him on Veterans Day and in 2010 he was honored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. In 2000, the University Hospital hung a portrait of him in recognition of his service, and in 2002 he received the United States President’s Volunteer Service Award. Richard Stimson died on July 5, 2014. He bequeathed his estate to the University of Utah Health Sciences, one of the organization’s largest individual donations; his permanent endowments funded faculty chairs, scholarships, research, and patient care.