Richard Moe

Richard Palmer Moe (November 27, 1936 – September 15, 2025) was an American attorney and historic preservation advocate who served as chief of staff to the vice president from 1977 to 1981.

Early life and education Moe was born in Duluth, Minnesota. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College in 1959 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1966.

Career Richard Moe served as an administrative assistant to Minneapolis Mayor Arthur Naftalin from 1961 to 1962 and the Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Sandy Keith from 1963 to 1967.

National Trust for Historic Preservation Moe led the National Trust for Historic Preservation from 1993 to 2009, and succeeded at expanding its budget despite funding reductions from Congress. During his tenure, Moe managed efforts to preserve historical sites, such as Manassas National Battlefield Park. Moe also guided the trust in its major effort to preserve historic structures and sites in New Orleans, Louisiana, following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Awards In 2007, Moe was awarded the Vincent Scully Prize by the National Building Museum in recognition of his contributions to the built environment. That same year, he received the Theodore Roosevelt-Woodrow Wilson Award from the American Historical Association.

Personal life Moe married Julia Neimeyer on December 26, 1964. and died there on September 15, 2025, from complications of Parkinson's disease.

Works

Richard Moe, Carter Wilkie, Changing Places: Rebuilding Community in the Age of Sprawl, Henry Holt and Company, 1999,