Rep. Richard Franklin, a Democrat, represents part of Jackson County (District 53) in the Missouri House of Representatives.

Rep. Franklin is a retired school teacher and high school principal. He has worked in education since 1955. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1958-1965.

Rep. Franklin is involved in the following professional organizations: National Conference of State Legislators, where he serves as the Missouri representative on the Education Committee; Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals; National Association of Secondary School Principals and Truman State University Alumni Association. He is also a member of the following organizations: Missouri and National Democratic Parties; Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite, Ararat Shrine, Jackson County Historical Society; Friends of Missouri Archives; Victorian Society (Vaile Mansion-DeWitt Museum); Bingham-Waggoner Historical Society; Burroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas City; Marth Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary; The Nature Conservancy of Missouri; Missouri Prairie Foundation; Ducks Unlimited; American Birding Association; Fort Osage Booster Club; Fort Osage Alumni Association; and Missouri State Employees Retirement System board of trustees. He is also an Elder at the First Presbyterian Church in Independence.

Awarded with the Parent-Teacher Association Life Membership by the Fort Osage PTA Council, Rep. Franklin also has been honored with the following awards: 1986 Business Associate of the Year by the Hawthorn Chapter of American Business Women's Association; 1987 Fort Osage Alumni Warrior Award; 1988 Fort Osage Athletic Pioneer; 1991 Outstanding Legislator by the Missouri Vocational Association; 1992 Friend of Education Award by the Independence National Education Association; 1992 Horace Mann Friend of Education Award sponsored by Missouri National Education Association and Horace Mann Insurance Companies; 1993 Appreciation Plaque, Support for Outstanding Schools Act, Fort Osage Board of Education; 1995 Certificate of Appreciation, Outstanding Commitment to Legislation Benefiting Retired Educators, Retired Teachers Association of Missouri; 1995 Legislator of the Year Award by the Missouri Community College Association; 1995 Outstanding Support of Vocational Education, Missouri Vocational Association; 1996 Fort Osage Pioneer in Education; 1996 Citation of Merit, University of Missouri Alliance of Alumni Associations; 1997 Friends of School Libraries Award, Missouri Association of School Librarians; 1998 Resolution of Appreciation, Truman State University; 1998 A+ Legislation Award, Missouri National Education Association; and the 1999 Certificate of Appreciation from Blue River Community College. In 1983, his colleagues established the J. Richard Franklin Scholarship.

A 1952 graduate of Milan High School, Rep. Franklin received a bachelor of science degree in education from Northeast Missouri State University in 1956, a master of education

degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1963 and a specialist degree in education from Central Missouri State University in 1972.

Born July 15, 1934, in Milan, Rep. Franklin resides in Independence with his wife Joyce Ann. They have two adult children, James Franklin and Elizabeth Buckrucker.