- U.S. secretary of commerce (1976-1977).
- U.S. ambassador to Great Britain (1975-1976)
- U.S. secretary of health, education and welfare (1970-1973).
- U.S. secretary of defense (1973).
- Lieutenant governor of Massachusetts (1965-1967).
- U.S. district attorney for Massachusetts (1959-1961).
- U.S. attorney general (1973).
- Massachusetts state attorney general (1967-1969).
- Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 513-514. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
- Served at least four different cabinet positions under a President, the only other person to do it so far is George Shultz. Richardson was however, in the Presidential line-of-succession for all four of them, Shultz was for three of his four.
- Frequently noted as the last notable person to pass away in the last century/millennium (on the worldwide, popular belief that it ended on 12/31/1999, when it was actually 12/31/2000).
- Is the second-shortest served U.S. Attorney General, ahead of Edwin Stanton.
- Is currently the shortest-served U.S. Secretary of Defense.
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