Richard L. Berkley Politician

Richard L. Berkley (born Richard L. Berkowitz, June 29, 1931) served as mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., from 1979 to 1991.Although Kansas City mayors do not officially have political affiliations, Mayor Berkley was the first Republican mayor of the city since the 1920s. He was also the city's first Jewish mayor (although he did not publicly acknowledge this) and served longer than any other mayor in Kansas City history.During his term he led the calls for a federal investigation into the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse in 1981. More than 700 capital improvement projects occurred during his term, including a major expansion of Bartle Hall Convention Center and revitalization of the Quality Hill neighborhood.Berkley received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1957.The Richard L. Berkley Riverfront Park on Front Street along the Missouri River near the Christopher "Kit" Bond Bridge(I-35) is named for him.