Richard D. Harrison was born on May 19, 1923, in Salt Lake City.During his service with the 39th Bomb Group (VH), he served with Crew # 1 Replacement # 3 and Crew 10 as Pilot flying a total of 38 missions. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross.

After military service, he received an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and a law degree from the University of Michigan. He worked in Washington DC as a special assistant in the U.S. Department of Justice and then with a law firm in Seattle, WA.

In 1953 he joined Fleming Companies, a large food marketing and distribution firm, serving in numerous management positions. In 1964, he was elected president. He served as president and chief executive officer from 1966 to 1981, chairman and chief executive officer from 1981 to 1988, and as chairman until retiring in 1989.

Harrison then served several additional years as honorary chairman of the board. Under Mr. Harrison's leadership, Fleming achieved remarkable growth to a position of national prominence in the food distribution Industry. He served as a director of The Quaker Oats Company, Chicago, Kerr-McGee Corporation, Oklahoma City, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He was president of the Super Market Institute, chairman of the Independent Grocers' Alliance (IGA) and chairman of the National American Wholesale Grocers' Association (NAWGA).

In 1989, Dick received the Herbert Hoover Award from NAWGA for lifelong service to the food industry. He also was a director of the Food Marketing Institute.

He was very active in business, educational and charitable organizations and in 1988 was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. He served as president of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce and as a trustee of the Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City University and Oklahoma Christian College. Both of these educational institutions awarded him honorary doctorate degrees. He also was a trustee of the University of Utah. He served as campaign chairman of the Allied Arts Foundation and the United Way of Oklahoma City. He was chairman of the Oklahoma Art Center and a director of the lntegris Health, Inc., the Oklahoma Health Sciences Foundation, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and the Metropolitan YMCA. He was a director of the National Legal Center for the Public Interest and was honored by the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

Dick had five daughters, Amy Wellington of Oklahoma City, Leslie Harrison of Alexandria, VA, Julie Cox of Leedey, OK, Susan Hart of Stillwater, OK, Alyse Marlatt of Atlanta, Ga. and a son, Richard D. Harrison, Jr. of Oklahoma City and nine grandchildren.