Richard Lyman Cates ’47
Richard Lyman Cates ’47 died in Madison, Wisconsin, on August 3, 2011. He grew up in New York City and attended New Hampton (New Hampshire) School. In college he majored in history and joined Phi Gamma Delta and Sphinx. He completed Marine officer training as WW II ended. After working in forestry in Maine and in steel mills in Baltimore, he completed an LL.D. at the University of Wisconsin in 1951. He served in Korea as a Marine captain, then moved to Madison to practice law in 1953. In 1958 he established Lawton and Cates, Attorneys, and was involved with the firm until 1990. He served as Dane County district attorney in 1951, Wisconsin state legislator from 1959 to 1960 and member of the Madison County school board for one term. He was admitted to practice in federal courts in 1954 and to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1970. As a top trial lawyer, in 1973 he was contacted by Peter Rodino, House Judicial Committee chairman, to join the team of lawyers investigating President Nixon and the Watergate case, which led to the impeachment of the president. Richard taught law at the University of Wisconsin from 1956 to 1980 and at the McGeorge School of Law from 1982 to 1985. He served on the Wisconsin State Bar board of governors and retired from practice in 1990. He moved half time to a farm, where he enjoyed horses, hiking, cycling, rowing and swimming. He is survived by his wife and five children, including Richard Jr. ’76.
