Richard Cates
{{Short description|American politician and lawyer (1925–2011)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
Richard Lyman Cates (November 22, 1925 – August 3, 2011) was an American Democratic politician and trial lawyer from Wisconsin.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/obituaries/127096198.html|title=Cates played key role in Watergate impeachment|website=www.jsonline.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.lawtoncates.com/professionals/lawyers/richard-l.-cates|title=StackPath|website=www.lawtoncates.com}}
Background
Born in New York City,{{cite news|title=Richard Cates, Longtime Trial Lawyer in Madison, Dies at 85 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30898668/richard_cates_19252011/ |newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal |date=August 7, 2011 |page=20 |via = Newspapers.com |accessdate = April 24, 2019 }} {{Open access}} Cates served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War. Cates graduated from Dartmouth College and received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1951. Cates served as a Dane County, Wisconsin assistant district attorney. He then served in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1959 and 1960'Wisconsin Blue Book 1960,' Biographical Sketch of Richard Cate, pg. 36 and later on the Madison, Wisconsin school board. In 1973, Cates served as one of the lawyers on the House Judiciary Committee inquiry concerning the potential impeachment of President Richard Nixon because of the Watergate scandal.{{Cite web|url=https://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/state-and-regional/wisconsin-watergate-lawyer-dies-at-85/article_13ba47e6-c02f-11e0-ad3e-001cc4c002e0.html|title=Wisconsin Watergate lawyer dies at 85|first=John Nichols | Capital|last=Times|website=La Crosse Tribune|date=6 August 2011 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=2095&keyword=cates|title=Richard Cates, Wisconsin Historical Society|access-date=2011-08-06|archive-date=2012-11-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107034758/http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=2095&keyword=cates|url-status=dead}} Cates died in Madison at age 85.
Family
At the time of his death, in 2011, Cates was survived by his wife, Margaret "Marnie" (Lessig) Cates, who died on July 9, 2013, and by his children, Richard Jr., John, Madison, David, Christine, and Robert. He had 18 grandchildren, two great grandchildren.
His nephew is the lawyer and activist Lawrence Lessig.{{cite magazine| url=http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/10.10/lessig_pr.html| title=Lawrence Lessig's Supreme Showdown| volume=10| date=October 2002| issue=10| author=Steven Levy| magazine=Wired}} His granddaughter is technology entrepreneur Jennifer Arcuri.{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/jennifer-arcuri-grandfather-of-entrepreneur-linked-to-boris-johnson-led-probe-into-watergate-scandal-a4247386.html|title=Jennifer Arcuri: Grandfather of entrepreneur linked to Boris Johnson led probe into Watergate scandal|work=Evening Standard|first=David|last=Gardner|date= 26 September 2019}} His son, David Allan Cates is an author and the executive director of Missoula Medical Aid.{{Cite web|last=Services|first=Cress Funeral and Cremation|title=Obituary for Richard Lyman Cates, Sr. {{!}} Cress Funeral and Cremation Services|url=https://www.cressfuneralservice.com/obituary/Richard-CatesSr|access-date=2020-11-13|website=Obituary for Richard Lyman Cates, Sr. {{!}} Cress Funeral and Cremation Services|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Services|first=Cress Funeral and Cremation|title=Obituary for Margaret Cates {{!}} Cress Funeral and Cremation Services|url=https://www.cressfuneralservice.com/obituary/Margaret-Cates|access-date=2020-11-13|website=Obituary for Margaret Cates {{!}} Cress Funeral and Cremation Services|language=en}}
References
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Category:Politicians from New York City
Category:Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin
Category:Dartmouth College alumni
Category:University of Wisconsin Law School alumni
Category:Military personnel from Madison, Wisconsin
Category:School board members in Wisconsin
Category:Watergate scandal investigators
Category:Lawyers from Madison, Wisconsin
Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II
Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War
Category:Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
Category:20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature
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