Dr. Richard Lesher

From small-town life to theworld stage, Richard Lesher’s inspiring tale is one of dogged determination.The son of an alcoholic and violent father in Depression-era Pennsylvania,Lesher worked his way through school, eventually overseeing NASA’s vitaltechnology transfer program during the race to the moon. His greatestachievement, however, was serving as president of the US Chamber of Commercefrom the Ford through the Clinton administrations. Working closely with thepresidents―especially Reagan―he modernized the Chamber over 22 years anddramatically expanded its national and international outreach. Believingstrongly in the power of the free enterprise system, Lesher became a key voiceand agent of economic change in former communist countries in the 1990s.Respected and admired by presidents, officials, and world leaders on both theleft and right, Lesher has lived a hopeful and uniquely American story, aremarkable testament to personal perseverance and the ever-presentopportunities in a free society.