Biography

03/08/1920 - 02/23/2017

Major Richard Albert Tilghman, (R17) Montgomery County, 1969-1982, (R17) Delaware (Part) and Montgomery (Part) Counties, 1983-2001

Early Life:

Major Richard Albert Tilghman, born March 8, 1920, Manchester, Greater Manchester, England; son of Benjamin Chew and Eliza Middleton Fox Tilghman; Saint Paul School, Concord, New Hampshire; Fountain Valley School, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Berlitz School of Languages, Princeton, New Jersey; Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, (B.A.), politics, 1943; major, United States Marine Corps, Silver Star recipient, World War II, 1942-1945; employed, Smith and Barney, Wall Street, New York; employed, General Coal Company; plastics manufacturing executive, Contour Manufacturing Company; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1967-1968 term; not a candidate for reelection, 1969 term; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1969-resigned, August 31, 2001; married, Diana Disston, 1944, son, Richard A. Jr., Edward, John; died, February 23, 2017, cerebral atherosclerosis, Beaumont, Bryn Mawr, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; interment, Church of the Redeemer Cemetery, Bryn Mawr, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. 

Early Career:

First Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps, World War II, Silver Star for action in Iwo Jima; member, Veterans of Foreign Wars; Episcopal Church.

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, State in Schuylkill (the "Fish House"), Gulph Mills Golf Club, Corinthian Yacht Club of Philadelphia, Fifth Marine Division Association, The Union League of Philadelphia.

Awards:

Silver Star AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING World War II Service: Marine Corps Rank: First Lieutenant Battalion: 2d Battalion Division: 5th Marine Division GENERAL ORDERS: Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force Pacific: Serial 50939 CITATION:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant Richard A. Tilghman (MCSN: 0-22282), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity as a Rifle Platoon Leader and later as Commanding Officer of Company F, Second Battalion, Twenty-seventh Marines, FIFTH Marine Division in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands from 19 February to 23 March 1945. When his platoon was split and pinned down by intense enemy fire from all directions on 25 February, First Lieutenant Tilghman moved back fifty yards in the face of heavy fire to obtain tank support. Leading the tanks into position to move against enemy forces on his left flank, he crossed a one hundred and fifty yard gap at the risk of his life to direct his right flank squad. Although heavy casualties had decimated the front line units and caused them to become disorganized, he courageously held the lines intact until relief arrived. His professional ability, courage under fire and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1967-1968; not a candidate for reelection, 1969 term. 

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 17th district, Montgomery County, 1969-1982; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 17th district, Delaware (Part) and Montgomery (Part) Counties, 1983-2001; chair, Minority Appropriations committee, 1976-1980, chair, Majority Appropriations committee, 1981-1992, chair, Minority Appropriations committee, 1993-1994, chair, Majority Appropriations committee, 1995-2001; vice-chair, Finance, 1989-1992; committee assignments, Law and Justice, Rules and Executive Nominations, Urban Affairs and Housing Commission; appointed, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, 1981-1982; member, Chesapeake Bay Commission. 

Through Appropriation Committee, Pennsylvania Veterans Memorial, Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Lebanon County, became a reality; amended, College and University Security Information Act, to require college campus security departments to maintain daily logs of incidents and to require the logs to be public record and available to students and parents, 1993; allocation of two million dollars as Pennsylvania's share of the funding for the National World War II Memorial, Washington, D.C., 1999. 

Underwent hip surgery, two weeks of recovery using a walker, he spent his convalescence evaluating his life. Said in a statement "While the surgery was successful, I also had the chance to think about the future, there is no hidden reason for the conclusion, just the belief that after 32½ years in the State Senate, it is the right time to step aside, having addressed many priorities and advanced key projects in this legislative session." Year into his ninth term, the 81-year-old senator stepped down, resigned, August 31, 2001. 

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography 

Official Website - PA House Archives Official Website (state.pa.us) 

Legacy:

Secured state funding which helped to improve the quality of life for residents of the Southeastern Veterans Center in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, rehabilitation of modular housing units, boiler plant and dietary facility. The latter bears his name. 

Inducted, Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Hall of Fame; awarded, Pennsylvania Meritorious Service Medal for his "distinguished record of support for veterans' programs and benefits while ensuring fiscal prudence in the expenditure of public funds." 2000.

May 24, 2018, The Senate will please rise and prepare for a moment of silence for our former colleague, Senator Tilghman. (Whereupon, the Senate stood in a moment of silence in solemn respect to the memory of the Honorable RICHARD A. TILGHMAN.) his two sons are here today, Rick Tilghman and Mid Tilghman, and we are honored by their presence as well. Sj20170524.pdf (state.pa.us)

Cited: 

The Pennsylvania Manual, (1999-2000). Crowell, G.; Secretary, Department of General Services. (Volume 114) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 3-357, 3-43; Biographies of Members of the Senate, page 3-22.

Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) March 8-March 9, 2017.

Richard Tilghman Obituary (1920 - 2017) - Bryn Mawr, PA - Patriot-News (pennlive.com)

Bonnie L. Cook, Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) March 8, 2017

Richard A. Tilghman, 96, Pa. state senator who wielded power of the purse (inquirer.com)

DMVA Hall of Fame (pa.gov)

Richard A Tilghman (1920-2017) - Find a Grave Memorial