Margaret Richardson

Mary Margaret Richardson (née Milner; May 14, 1943 – July 13, 2021) was an American tax lawyer. She served as Commissioner of Internal Revenue at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from 1993 to 1997. She was the second woman to hold the position, after her immediate predecessor, Shirley D. Peterson.

Early life Richardson was born in Waco, Texas, on May 14, 1943. Her father was a colonel in the US Army; her mother worked as an English teacher. Richardson was raised in Waco and West Point, New York. She studied political science at Vassar College, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1965. She then attended the George Washington University Law School, where she was one of the editors of The George Washington Law Review, and obtained a Juris Doctor in 1968. She went on to clerk for the US Court of Claims.

Early career Richardson first worked at the Office of Chief Counsel of the IRS for eight years. She eventually rose to the position of director of the administrative services division, Richardson became friends with Hillary Clinton while they were both members of the American Bar Association. She helped fundraise for her husband, Bill Clinton, during his 1992 presidential campaign.

Commissioner of the internal revenue service Upon becoming president in 1993, he appointed Richardson as Commissioner of Internal Revenue. She was the second woman to serve in the post, after her immediate predecessor, Shirley D. Peterson.

Personal life Richardson married John L. Richardson in 1967. He worked as a transportation lawyer, and they remained married until her death. Together, they had one child, who was also named Margaret. Richardson served as vice chair of Washington National Cathedral.

Richardson died on July 13, 2021, at her home in Delaplane, Virginia. She was 78, and suffered from lung cancer prior to her death.