Richard Headlee
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Richard Headlee (May 16, 1930 - November 9, 2004) was the author of the Headlee Amendment, a Michigan law that places restrictions on tax increases without voter approval. He was also the 1982 Republican candidate for Governor of Michigan. During 1963 he served as the National President of the Jaycees.
Headlee was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa to William Clark and Violet Lunn Headlee and grew up in Richfield, Utah. He graduated from Utah State University in 1953.[1] In 1949 Headlee married his high school sweetheart, Mary Elaine Mendenhall.[1] They had four sons and five daughters.
After graduating from college, Headlee joined the US military and was stationed in Mannheim, Germany. He then came to Bountiful, Utah where he joined the Jaycees and eventually became the national president in 1963.
In 1964 Headlee moved to Michigan. That year he was apointed by Governor George Romney to run a program for Michigan servicemen in Vietnam. In 1966 Headlee served as Romney's campaign manager. It was the fact that Romney could outwork him that convinced Headlee to investigate the LDS faith. He was baptized in 1966 and he was sealed to his wife, who was a life-long church member, and children in 1967 in the Salt Lake Temple.[1]
In 1978 Headlee organized the effort that brought about the Headlee admentment. He was the Republican candidate for governor of Michigan in 1982, but lost to Jim Blanchard.
In 1987, Headlee was the recipient of a heart transplant from a victim of a motorcycle accident in Texas.
In the church Headlee served twice as a bishop, ten years in a stake presidency and as a Regional Representative.[2]
Among Headlee's children is Howard Headlee the current president of the Utah Bankers Association.
Headlee was the founder, president and CEO of Alexander Hamilton Life Insurance Co. based in Farmington Hills, Michigan.[1]
Headlee was very anti-taxes[1]
Headlee also funded the creation by Dennis Smith and placement of the "Signing of the Constitution" statues in the US embassies in Moscow and London in 1988.[3]
In 1992 Headlee his children and grandchildren were involved in a major effort to assist children in Romanian orphanages.[1] This was organized into Project Concern International, which provided 40,000 pounds of supplies to an orphanage in Romania.[4]
After retiring and moving to Park City, Utah to be near his grandchildren Headlee served as the director of the board of Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Ivins, Utah.[1]
Headlee died at his home in Cedar Mills, Utah in 2004.
