Cheney, Richard B. (Richard Bruce), 1941-

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Richard Bruce Cheney (born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. He has been cited as the most powerful vice president in American history. He is also one of the most unpopular politicians in the history of the US, holding an approval rating of just 13% at the time of leaving office.

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Cheney grew up there and later in Casper, Wyoming. He attended Yale and then the University of Wyoming, at the latter of which he earned a BA and an MA in Political Science. He began his political career as an intern for Congressman William A. Steiger, eventually working his way into the White House during the Nixon and Ford administrations. He served as White House chief of staff from 1975 to 1977. In 1978, Cheney was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented Wyoming's at-large congressional district from 1979 to 1989, briefly serving as House minority whip in 1989. Cheney was selected to be the secretary of defense during the presidency of George H. W. Bush, holding the position for the majority of Bush's term from 1989 to 1993. During his time in the Department of Defense, Cheney oversaw the 1991 Operation Desert Storm, among other actions. Out of office during the Clinton administration, Cheney was the Chairman and CEO of Halliburton Company from 1995 to 2000.

In July 2000, Cheney was chosen by presumptive Republican Presidential nominee George W. Bush as his running mate in the 2000 Presidential election. They defeated their Democratic opponents, incumbent Vice President Al Gore and Senator Joe Lieberman. In 2004 Cheney was reelected to his second term as Vice President with Bush as President, defeating their Democratic opponents Senators John Kerry and John Edwards. During Cheney's tenure as Vice President, he played a leading behind-the-scenes role in the George W. Bush administration's response to the September 11 attacks and coordination of the Global War on Terrorism. He was an early proponent of invading Iraq, alleging that the Saddam Hussein regime possessed a weapons of mass destruction program (no active WMDs were ever in Iraq) and the Hussein regime had an operational relationship with al-Qaeda (even though there was scant credible evidence of such a relationship at the time). He also pressured the intelligence community to provide intelligence consistent with the administration's rationales for invading Iraq. Cheney was often criticized for the Bush Administration's policies regarding the campaign against terrorism, and for his support of wiretapping by the National Security Agency (NSA) and of torture. He became at odds with President Bush's position against same-sex marriage in 2004.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn James A. Baker III Oral History collection, 1991-2016 Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
referencedIn Obama Inaugural Photograph Collection, 2009-197., 2009 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
creatorOf Cheuse, Alan. Papers of Alan Cheuse [manuscript], 1999-2003. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Simpson, Alan K. Photographs, ca. 1920-1997. Univerisity of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
creatorOf Vice Presidential Records of the White House Communications Agency (George W. Bush Administration). 1/20/2001 - 1/20/2009. White House Television Vice Presidential Video Recordings National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn General Records of the Department of Education. 1967 - 2005. Photographs of Agency Activities National Archives at College Park
referencedIn White House Office of Appointments and Scheduling Files. 1989 - 1993. Presidential Daily Diary and Presidential Daily Backup Materials. 1/20/1989 - 1/20/1993. President's Daily Diary Entry, February 24, 1991 George Bush Library
creatorOf Memoranda of Conversations (Nixon and Ford Administrations). 1973 - 1977. Ford Administration Memoranda of Conversations. 8/1974 - 1/1977. September 25, 1975 - Ford, Bipartisan Congressional Leadership Gerald R. Ford Library
referencedIn Records of the Environmental Protection Agency. 1944 - 2006. Photographs of Agency Personnel National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Bob Englehart Papers University of Connecticut. Libraries
referencedIn United States. White House Office of Appointments and Scheduling. President's Daily Diary Entry, February 3, 1991 George Bush Library
referencedIn Evans, Rowland, 1921-2001. Rowland Evans Jr. and Robert D. Novak papers, 1948-2008. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Vice Presidential Records of the White House Communications Agency (George W. Bush Administration). 1/20/2001 - 1/20/2009. Vice Presidential Audio Recordings National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Vice Presidential Records of the Photography Office (George W. Bush Administration). 1/20/2001 - 1/20/2009. Vice Presidential Photographs National Archives at Washington, D.C
creatorOf Richard B. Cheney Files. 1974 - 1977. Correspondence Files Gerald R. Ford Library
referencedIn McNamee, Wally, 1932-2017. Wally McNamee Photographic Archive, ca. 1950-2017 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Dennis A. “Denny” Smith papers, 1979-1991, 1984-1990 Willamette University Archives and Special Collections
creatorOf Richard B. Cheney Files. 1974 - 1977. Audiovisual Materials Gerald R. Ford Library
referencedIn Rochester Institute of Technology. Student Government,. Congressman Frank Horton Distinguished Speaker Series (Rochester, N.Y.) collection, 1989-1995. RIT Library, Wallace Library
referencedIn White House Office of Appointments and Scheduling Files. 1989 - 1993. Presidential Daily Diary and Presidential Daily Backup Materials. 1/20/1989 - 1/20/1993. President's Daily Diary Entry, February 26, 1991 George Bush Library
referencedIn Paul Gann Archive, 1978-1986 California state library
creatorOf Cheney, Richard B. Dick Cheney campaign materials, 1978-1985. Wyoming, State Archives and Historical Department
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. Photographs Relating to the Secretary's Trips, Speeches, and Other Functions, and Agency Officials, Events, and Managed Sites. 2002-2013. National Archives at College Park
creatorOf James E. Connor Files. 1974 - 1977. Staff Secretary's Subject Files Gerald R. Ford Library
referencedIn White House Office of Appointments and Scheduling Files. 1989 - 1993. Presidential Daily Diary and Presidential Daily Backup Materials. 1/20/1989 - 1/20/1993. President's Daily Diary Entry, February 22, 1991 George Bush Library
creatorOf Richard B. Cheney Files. 1974 - 1977. Richard Cheney's General Subject Files Gerald R. Ford Library
referencedIn Laramie County Republican Central Committee (Laramie County, Wyo.). Laramie County Republican Central Committee and Young Republicans records, 1961-1996. Wyoming, State Archives and Historical Department
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. 1921 - 2008. Combined Military Service Digital Photographic Files National Archives at College Park
referencedIn United States. White House Office of Appointments and Scheduling. President's Daily Diary Entry, February 18, 1991 George Bush Library
referencedIn Kemp, Jack, 1935-2009. Jack Kemp papers, 1924-2009 (bulk 1963-1996) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Malcolm Wallop papers Univerisity of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
creatorOf Robert M. Teeter Papers. 1967 - 2004. 1976 Presidential Campaign Post-Election Analyses Gerald R. Ford Library
referencedIn Hare, David, 1947-. Stuff happens : a play / by David Hare, 2006. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Donald Rumsfeld Papers, 1888-2008, (bulk 1963-2007) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn United States. White House Office of Appointments and Scheduling. President's Daily Diary Entry, February 16, 1991 George Bush Library
referencedIn Kemp, Jack, 1935-2009. Jack Kemp papers, 1924-2009 (bulk 1963-1996) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Cheney, Richard B. Richard B. Cheney : commercials , 1984-1988. University of Oklahoma, Political Community Archives
referencedIn Beall, Charles P. Charles P. Beall papers, 1953-2003. Univerisity of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
referencedIn Vice Presidential Records of the White House Communications Agency (George W. Bush Administration). 1/20/2001 - 1/20/2009. Edited Vice Presidential Video Recordings National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn Byron Hirst papers, 1920-2000 Univerisity of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
creatorOf Richard B. Cheney Files. 1974 - 1977. Richard Cheney's General Subject Files. 1974 - 1977. Transition (1977) - Briefing Book for Second Ford Administration (1). 11/2/1976 - 11/2/1976. Memorandum for President Gerald Ford from James E. Connor Regarding a Second Ford Administration Gerald R. Ford Library
referencedIn Nancy L. Johnson Papers, undated, 1983-2006. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
referencedIn Caspar W. Weinberger Papers, 1910-2005, (bulk 1951-2005) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Vice Presidential Records of the White House Communications Agency (George W. Bush Administration). 1/20/2001 - 1/20/2009. Vice Presidential Video Recordings National Archives at Washington, D.C
referencedIn William Safire Papers, 1949-2009 Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center
creatorOf Richard B. Cheney Files. 1974 - 1977. Richard Cheney's Campaign Subject Files, 1975 - 1976 Gerald R. Ford Library
referencedIn White House Office of Appointments and Scheduling Files. 1989 - 1993. Presidential Daily Diary and Presidential Daily Backup Materials. 1/20/1989 - 1/20/1993. President's Daily Diary Entry, February 27, 1991 George Bush Library
creatorOf James E. Connor Files. 1974 - 1977. Cabinet Secretary's Subject Files Gerald R. Ford Library
creatorOf Richard B. Cheney Files. 1974 - 1977. Audiovisual Materials. 1974 - 1976. Primary Campaign Interview Rehearsal Tapes Gerald R. Ford Library
referencedIn Hirst, Byron. Byron Hirst papers, 1920-2000. Univerisity of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Baker, James, 1930- person
associatedWith Beall, Charles P. person
subordinateOf Bush, George, 1924-2018 person
associatedWith Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946- person
associatedWith Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946- person
almaMaterOf Casper College corporateBody
parentOf Cheney, Liz, 1966- person
spouseOf Cheney, Lynne V., 19..-.... person
associatedWith Cheuse, Alan. person
associatedWith Evans, Rowland, 1921-2001. person
subordinateOf Ford, Gerald R., 1913-2006 person
associatedWith Gann, Paul, 1912-1989 person
associatedWith Hare, David, 1947- person
associatedWith Hirst, Byron. person
memberOf International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers corporateBody
associatedWith Johnson, Nancy Lee, 1935- person
correspondedWith Kemp, Jack. person
correspondedWith Kemp, Jack. person
associatedWith Kennerly, David Hume person
subordinateOf Knowles, Warren P. person
associatedWith McNamee, Wally person
associatedWith McNeely, Robert person
associatedWith Naythons, Matthew person
associatedWith Rochester Institute of Technology. Student Government, corporateBody
correspondedWith Rumsfeld, Donald, 1932- person
associatedWith Safire, William, 1929-2009 person
associatedWith Schorr, William M. collector. person
associatedWith Simpson, Alan K. person
associatedWith Smith, Dennis A. person
subordinateOf Steiger, William A. person
associatedWith University of Oklahoma. Political Commercial Archive. corporateBody
almaMaterOf University of Wisconsin--Madison corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf University of Wyoming. corporateBody
associatedWith Wallop, Malcolm. person
associatedWith Weinberger, Caspar W. person
associatedWith Weinberger, Caspar W. person
associatedWith Wright, Dick collector. person
almaMaterOf Yale University. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Lincoln NE US
Sumner NE US
Casper WY US
Dallas TX US
District of Columbia DC US
Madison WI US
Subject
Advertising, political
Political campaigns
Radio advertising
Television advertising
Occupation
Businessmen
Cabinet officers
Chief executive officers
Legislators
Politicians
Representatives, U.S. Congress
Vice presidents
Activity

Person

Birth 1941-01-30

Male

Americans

English

Information

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