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Richard de Uriarte arrived in Phoenix in 1979 after serving as Press Secretary to Governor Jerry Apodaca of New Mexico. He joined the Phoenix Gazette where he covered politics and wrote editorials. After the Gazette merged with the Arizona Republic, he went on to work as an editorial writer, columnist and reader advocate. He was a member of The Republic's editorial board writing on a broad range of topics, including the legislature and the state’s most prominent political figures. He served as the manager of communications for Maricopa County from 2008 to 2015. His career in media and government spanned 44 years. In 2009, the Phoenix New Times awarded him “Best Public Information Officer.” Richard was an adjunct professor, writer and thinker at the Cronkite School, for 15 years he mentored young journalists and taught ethics in journalism.

Richard’s most outstanding characteristic was his decency and how he could talk to all sides on issues while keeping his own integrity. It is the hope that this scholarship brings more Richards to Journalism.