Richard A. Gephardt was born in St. Louis on January 31, 1941. His father, Louis, was a former union truck driver and a real estate broker; his mother, Loreen, worked as a secretary to earn money to put her sons through college. Richard and his older brother Don grew up on Reber Place in south St. Louis, attending nearby Mason Elementary School and supporting his hometown Cardinals baseball team.

After graduating from Southwest High School in St. Louis, Gephardt attended Northwestern University High School Summer Institute in drama before attending the university for his undergraduate studies. He became involved in student government while there, serving as president of his fraternity, the junior men's honorary society, and the student senate. It was also at Northwestern that he met his future wife, Jane Ann Byrnes.

After completing his law degree at the University of Michigan in 1965, Gephardt moved back to St. Louis and became a member of the law firm of Thompson & Mitchell. He also joined the Missouri Air National Guard and in 1966 married Jane Byrnes. While in St. Louis, young Gephardt became involved in local politics. In 1971 he ran for and won election as St. Louis Alderman for the 14th Ward, and then in 1976 he ran for Leonor K. Sullivan's newly-vacated Missouri 3rd District Congressional seat and won.

During his twenty-eight years in Congress, Gephardt served on several influential committees, including Ways and Means and the Budget. In 1984 his fellow Democrats elected him chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, making him the youngest person ever to serve in that position and the only one elected unanimously. The next year his colleagues elected him majority leader (later minority leader) and House Democratic Leader, positions he would hold throughout the rest of his tenure in office. He ran for president in 1988 and again in 2004.

Upon leaving Congress he formed his own international consulting company, the Gephardt Group. In 2006 he established the Richard A. Gephardt Institute for Public Service at Washington University in St. Louis.

Congressman Gephardt's Staffers:

Jane Arnold: Ms. Arnold began working for Dick Gephardt as a volunteer in his 1988 presidential campaign while attending Harvard. In 1993, after receiving her law degree from Washington University, she joined Gephardt's staff full time as a legislative assistant, project director, and policy advisory (1993-1996). Ms. Arnold's primary legislative areas included crime and veterans issues. In 2007 she was a partner at Bryan Cave LLP in St. Louis. Ms. Arnold remains associated with Congressman Gephardt and helped establish the Gephardt Institute of Public Service at Washington University.

Sheila Austrian: In the mid-1980s, Ms. Austrian focused on foreign policy issues in the Gephardt congressional office. After leaving that position she had a career as a U.S. foreign service officer in both Australia and Canada in the mid-to-late 1990s. She is now retired from public service.

Kori Bernards: After graduating with a BA in political science from Regis University in Denver, Ms. Bernards assisted with numerous local and statewide campaigns in Phoenix, including the Clinton/Gore Arizona campaign in 1992. By 1995 she had moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked in the office of Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). The next year worked for then Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala as her radio person and traveling press coordinator. After working as communications director with Congressman David Obey (D-WI) for four and a half years, she joined Gephardt's staff as press secretary (ca. 2000-2002). Upon leaving Gephardt's office, she served as communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), and since 2005 she has held the position of vice president of corporate communications with the Motion Picture Association of America (2007).

John Crosby: John Crosby and Dick Gephardt both practiced law with the St. Louis firm of Thompson & Mitchell before they moved on to Washington, D.C. Mr. Crosby served as administrative assistant to Gephardt during his first three terms in office (1977-1982), focusing on various issues including taxation, business and economic policy, politics, trade, and urban affairs. He then joined Project HOPE in Virginia as a senior vice president, the National Association of Independent Insurers as vice president and general counsel (1983-1990), and then the American Medical Association (1990-1996) where he was vice president for numerous divisions, including health policy. Mr. Crosby serves as executive director of the American Osteopathic Association (2007).

Sharon Daniels: Sharon Daniels began her service in Congress after receiving her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Maryland. She was staff for the House Democratic Caucus and then its director in 1987 when Dick Gephardt was chairman. She continued to work with Gephardt as the majority leader's administrative assistant, scheduler, and executive assistant (ca. 1989-1998). Ms. Daniels focused on foreign affairs, including congressional delegations (CoDels) and information about the page program. When Congressman Gephardt departed Congress, she joined Gephardt and Associates, and as of 2007 she was a senior vice president at the Gephardt Group, where she specialized in governmental affairs.

Matt Davis: Matt Davis joined Gephardt's office as a legislative assistant in the late 1990s and continued until Gephardt left Congress. While his legislative responsibilities included a wide array of topics (arts to welfare), his files deal primarily with health and education issues.

Cathy Dente: Today (2007) Cathy Dente serves as the director of government affairs with the New York Public Library, and before that she worked in the Office of Public Affairs at Columbia University. Her legislative training, however, came during the eight years she worked in Dick Gephardt's congressional office (1992-2000), working her way up from intern to legislative director. Ms. Dente's areas of expertise included health and abortion, education, and communications/government employees. Cathy Dente is a 1992 graduate of Washington University.

Joy Drucker: Joy Drucker honed her skills as the foreign policy advisor for Dick Gephardt in the 1990s, where she also handled corporations/individuals-foreign entities activities. She came to Gephardt's office after having earned her bachelor of science degree in government from the London School of Economics and a master's degree in war studies from King's College, also in London. Today (2007) Joy Drucker is the executive director and a senior international affairs advisor for the Center for National Policy. In 2005-2006 she helped monitor Palestinian elections. She has also served as the deputy director of the Washington office of the Council on Foreign Relations, as a vice president for the international lobbying firm of Stonebridge International, and as a legislative management officer for Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department.

Jill Eynon: As legislative assistant for Dick Gephardt in the first half of the 1990s, Jill Eynon's issue responsibilities ranged from civil rights to urban affairs to government operations. Her files, however, focus primarily on health, especially health care and civil rights issues. The latter includes everything from EEOC and the Americans with Disabilities Act to flag burning and guest workers.

Dan Foley: Don Foley was Dick Gephardt's first congressional campaign manager. When Gephardt got elected, Foley went with him to Washington, D.C., where he served as the congressman's staff assistant and press secretary for twelve years. In 1983-1984 Foley, on leave from Gephardt's office, served as deputy press secretary for Walter Mondale's presidential campaign. He also served on Gephardt's first presidential campaign but resigned in 1987. Upon leaving Gephardt's service, Mr. Foley served as the Democratic Convention Manager in 1996. In 2007 he was the executive director of the Automotive X-Prize, a part of the X-Prize Foundation.

Bill Frymoyer: Before becoming a legislative staffer, Bill Frymoyer was an instructor and senior outreach coordinator for the national civics education organization Close Up Foundation. He worked in Congressman Gephardt's office for twelve years (1991-2003), holding various positions including research director and senior policy advisor. While in Gephardt's office, his areas of responsibility included the environment, energy, international trade, science and technology, financial issues, and agriculture. In 2002 Mr. Frymoyer became director of public policy for the National Environmental Trust, and then he joined the law offices of Stewart & Stewart in 2005, where he served as senior advisor and director of government relations. Bill Frymoyer has a BA in history from Washington University and an MA in international relations from the School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University.

Craig Hanna: Craig Hanna worked in various capacities with Dick Gephardt during his sixteen-year tenure, beginning as staff assistant in 1986 and ending as a senior policy advisor in 2003. He also served as the executive director of the House Democratic Policy Committee. During his time in Gephardt's office, Hanna assisted with budget negotiations (1995-1997) and passage of various pieces of legislation after September 11, 2001. His issue areas included St. Louis development, social security, taxation, and banking. In 2003 Mr. Hanna became the director of public policy for the American Academy of Actuaries.

Susan Harvey: Ms. Harvey joined Gephardt's staff as deputy press secretary in 1999, and she became his deputy communications director in the minority leader's office in 2000. In 2001 she assumed the position of Gephardt's press secretary.

Jim Hawley: As Dick Gephardt's legislative director (ca. 1988-1998), Jim Hawley dealt with a wide variety of issue areas. His files, however, focus heavily on energy and agricultural issues (including energy bills, the strategic petroleum reserve, and ethanol development), transportation, and the environment.

Joe Henning: Joe Henning was Gephardt's foreign policy assistant from ca. 1989-1990. Based on his files, Mr. Henning seems to have focused on locations and issues such as Nicaragua, Panama, and budget authorizations for the State and other Departments.

Kit Judge: Kit Judge's legislative files focus on web activities for Gephardt's office and about Dick Gephardt himself in the late 1990s. She was policy advisor for the Democratic Policy Committee in 2000.

Sean Kennedy: Sean Kennedy served for nine years as the legislative director and associate counsel for Congressman Dick Gephardt (1996-2004). His issue areas included communication/telecommunications, criminal justice, defense policy, labor, and urban affairs. In 2004 he served as the deputy political director in Gephardt's last presidential campaign. After Gephardt left office, Mr. Kennedy joined SBC Communications as a lobbyist (2004-2006). Today (2007) he is chief of staff for Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO).

Andrea (Andie) King: For 18 years Andie King served as an aide to Dick Gephardt. She was chief domestic policy advisor, focusing heavily on health care, but she also served as leadership liaison to several caucus member task forces. Before joining Gephardt's congressional office, Dr. King taught philosophy at Goucher College, her undergraduate alma mater, and held an American Philosophical Association Congressional Fellowship. After leaving Gephardt's office, Dr. King served briefly as a vice president at the lobbying firm of Van Scoyoc Associates Inc. She currently (2007) is a director at BKSH & Associates (2007).

Marilyn Klotz: Marilyn Klotz served several years as legislative correspondent and legislative assistant in Gephardt's congressional office (ca. 1985-1995) after graduating with a BA from Swarthmore College. Although she worked in several issue areas, she focused on natural disasters, economic policy, budget, and trade (primarily NAFTA). Upon leaving Gephardt's office, she briefly held a position with CGR, a non-profit public policy consulting firm. She is completing her PhD from Indiana University (expected 2007) and works as an instructor in political science and international relations at SUNY-Geneseo.

Eric London: Eric London's congressional claim to fame might be the speech he wrote for Dick Gephardt and delivered on the day of the impeachment vote in the House. As deputy communications director for Gephardt's office (1998-2000), London was also in charge of coordinating the daily Democratic message to the Democratic Caucus, and he helped craft Gephardt's technology policy in 2000. After leaving his congressional position, Mr. London served as director of public affairs at the Federal Trade Commission (2000), and in 2007 he is senior principal and managing director at TSD Inc. Mr. London is a Brandeis graduate, and he received his JD from George Washington University National Law Center in 1989.

Steve Mastorakos: Steve Mastorakos served as director of mail operations/correspondence in Gephardt's congressional office in the 1990s. His also worked on science and space issues/committees.

Kate McAuliffe Smith: Kate McAuliffe was associate counsel with Gephardt's office from ca. 1996-2000, where her legislative responsibilities centered on campaign finance, immigration, welfare, government reform, civil rights, taxation, and trade. After her tenure in Gephardt's congressional office, Ms. McAuliffe Smith was an associate with several law firms in Washington, D.C., including Hogan & Hartson since 2005. While a law school student at St. Louis University School of Law, Ms. McAuliffe Smith interned for Catherine Perry, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri.

Kyle Mulhall: After graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Louisville, Kyle Mulhall made his way to the D.C. area to study law at George Washington University (graduate 1986). In 1996 he joined Gephardt's office as a Brookings Institute Fellow, after which he became a member of the congressman's staff, serving as associate counsel and senior policy advisor from 1997/1998 to 2003. His major legislative responsibilities included transportation, energy, agriculture, hazardous substances (especially brownfields and the Superfund), trade, and the budget. Upon leaving Gephardt's staff, he joined Catapult Technology, Ltd, a government consulting firm, as the senior vice president for law and government affairs (2003-2006). In 2007 he is counsel in the office of Akerman Senterfitt in Washington, D.C.

JoElyn Newcomb: JoElyn Newcomb worked with Gephardt in drafting his manuscript, "American Challenge," in the mid-1980s. The publication project, however, never came to fruition. Ms. Newcomb remains politically active in the Boulder, Colorado, area.

Laura Nichols: Laura Nichols began her career in politics as Gephardt's Iowa press secretary in the 1988 presidential campaign. She served eight years as Gephardt's press secretary, beginning in 1993 when he was majority leader, and then as the minority leader's communications director. She also served as his senior communications advisor in 2003-2004. Ms. Nichols also held several positions with the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In 2001 she served as senior vice president for corporate communications and public affairs at PBS. She is currently (2007) senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and a partner in First Tuesday Media.

Brett O'Brien: A bachelor of arts degree from Harvard University and a master of arts degree from the London School of Economics helped prepare Brett O'Brien for his career in politics. Working first as an analyst for the Congressional Research Service, he became a foreign policy and defense advisor for Rep. Jim Bates of California and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell before joining Dick Gephardt's staff. There he was senior foreign and defense policy advisor to the Democratic leader, ca. 1993-2002. He was particularly involved in foreign policy issues concerning Russia. Following his tenure with Gephardt, he became vice president at the Harbour Group LLC in 2003 and then senior vice president at the Glover Park Group.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) O'Hara: Lizzie O'Hara served as a legislative assistant for Gephardt from the late 1990s through 2004. Her legislative responsibilities included banking, civil rights, housing, and immigration among many others, while her files deal primarily with defense, trade, government reform, and taxation. She has also served as a lobbyist with Patton Boggs and as senior counselor for Nichols-Dezenhall, a communications management group. Ms. O'Hara graduated from Washington College in Maryland in 1993.

Nancy Parker Tice: After graduating from the Olin School of Business at Washington University, Ms. Parker Tice served as legislative assistant in Gephardt's congressional office in the early 1990s. She was in charge of several legislative areas, including science and technology, small business, taxation, and trade. After leaving Gephardt's office, she worked for eleven years at Washington University School of Medicine, and in 2007 she worked with the National Conference for Community & Justice of Metropolitan St. Louis.

Frances (Fran) Smith: As one of Gephardt's legislative assistants (1977-early 1980s) Ms. Smith dealt primarily with St. Louis issues, including the light rail, the school lunch issue, the budget, and the Equal Rights Amendment.

Andrew Stephens: Missouri native Andrew Stephens used his background and expertise in international trade when he served as legislative assistant with Dick Gephardt's congressional office (mid 1980s-ca. 1993). His legislative responsibilities focused on foreign policy/foreign aid issues and veterans affairs. Before joining Gephardt's staff, Mr. Stephens clerked with The Honorable R. Kenton Musgrave at the US Court of International Trade and was an international trade lawyer with Stewart & Stewart in D.C. After leaving Gephardt's office, he joined the US Trade Representative's office and currently (2007) serves as the Director of Bilateral Agricultural Affairs. He holds a BA from Brown University, a JD from the University of Missouri, and an MA from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Maria Varner: Ms. Varner served as office assistant/administrative assistant and executive assistant/office manager to Congressman Gephardt from the early 1990s through the end of his tenure in Congress. Her duties included invoices, supplies and budget matters, coordinating interns, and handling flag requests. Her files within the Gephardt Papers, however, focus on grant activities. After leaving Gephardt's office, she became director of operations for Democratic Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski (2005-2007) and became the administrative director for Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) in 2007.

Sonya Wendell: Sonya Wendell worked in the Gephardt office in the late 1990s through 2003. Her primary legislative responsibilities included health policy, social security, and taxation.

Mike Wessel: Mike Wessel served in Congress almost as long as Dick Gephardt. He worked with Gephardt for more than twenty years (1977-1998) as general counsel and chief policy advisor, strategist, and negotiator. Although his position and expertise led him to be involved in many areas, his specific foci included international trade (including NAFTA, China), finance, economics, labor, and taxation. His files also include a large amount of information about the Republican "Contract with America" and Newt Gingrich. He was director of national issues in Gephardt's 1988 presidential campaign and senior policy advisor to the Clinton/Gore transition team. Mr. Wessel is senior vice president at the Downey McGrath Group, a public affairs consulting firm (2007). He holds a BA and a JD from George Washington University.

District Office Staffers:

Joyce Aboussie: Ms. Aboussie has been involved with Dick Gephardt's political career since his first Congressional race in 1976. After working as a volunteer on that initial campaign, she served as a summer intern in his office in 1977. Her assistance proved indispensable and over the years she worked her way up to national political director. In 1988 she served as Gephardt's presidential campaign vice chair. She was his chief fundraiser in the Midwest and campaign vice president for Gephardt's 2004 presidential campaign. Her files in the District Office papers, however, deal exclusively with Gephardt's work in bringing the football Rams to St. Louis, 1994-1995. Joyce Aboussie established Telephone Contact, Inc., a voter contact firm, in 1986 and is currently the president and owner of Aboussie and Associates in St. Louis (2007).

Chuck Banks: Chuck Banks coordinated the Jefferson County, Missouri, office for Congressman Gephardt and handled most outreach with that county in the late 1990s through 2003. His files focus heavily on Herculaneum and Jefferson County issues as well as those in Ste. Genevieve. After Gephardt left office, Mr. Banks continued his political activities in Jefferson County.

Glenn Campbell: Mr. Campbell worked in Gephardt's district office for almost a decade (1987-1996) where he dealt primarily with outreach to constituents on such issues as Medicare, neighborhoods and neighborhood development, and aging/aged. He was also involved in handling the Congressional High School Arts Competition in the district.

Adella Jones: After graduating from Southern Illinois University with a bachelor's degree in radio-television communications, Ms. Jones became St. Louis press secretary for Congressman Gephardt. In 2001 she became director of communications and the chief spokesman for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. She also served as community relations manager for the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau. In 2004 she joined the staff of Metro (St. Louis) as its director of communications, then as its vice president of government and community affairs.

Kristin Lappin: From 2001 until 2003/2004, Kristin Lappin worked as congressional liaison in Gephardt's district office. Before joining Gephardt's staff, she was public affairs manager at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (1997-1999). Ms. Lappin is the executive vice president of operations at Aboussie & Associates in St. Louis (2007). She is a 1990 graduate of the University of Missouri.

Mary Renick: Ms. Renick held several positions with Gephardt's office, although she is most remembered as director of the district office. Her files focus heavily on the 1993 Missouri flood, veteran issues, and Jefferson College/University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Bob Burns: Although there are no specific files with Mr. Burns's name on them, he is well-represented in the district office files. Mr. Burns ran the mobile office for Gephardt's district office from ca. 1995 to 1998. His meticulous notes about his encounters with and questions by Gephardt's constituents are among the best in the collection. Before joining Gephardt's staff, he was a brewery driver with Grey Eagle Distributors, a job to which he returned upon leaving Gephardt's service. In 2006 he ran for, but lost, a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives.