Background
FERRY, RICHARD was born on August 24, 1939 in Lauder, Wyoming, United States.
politician rancher member of the Texas House of Representatives
FERRY, RICHARD was born on August 24, 1939 in Lauder, Wyoming, United States.
Casper College (Associate of Science, 1961). University of Wyoming (Bachelor of Science in Law, 1963. Juris Doctor, 1966). Deputy County and Prosecuting Attorney, Natrona and Park Counties, Wyoming, 1969-1974.
Waterfield was particularly known for his advocacy of home meal-delivery systems for the elderly and disabled. Waterfield was one of two sons born to Richard Bruce Waterfield and the former Marjorie Jones (1904–1961). He then operated his family ranch and was the president and co-owner of Canadian Feed Yards.
He was the president of the interest group, the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, and a director of the First State Bank of Canadian. In 1987, Waterfield succeeded the veteran Democratic State Representative John W. "Buck" Buchanan of Dumas in Moore County. However, Waterfield lost the general election to the incumbent Democrat Bill Sarpalius of Amarillo.
Waterfield received 63,045 ballots (435 percent) to Sarpalius' 81,815 votes (565 percent). Waterfield had resigned his state House seat to make the congressional race, and in 1991, his legislative seat passed to fellow Republican David Swinford of Dumas. In 1991, Waterfield, having relocated permanently to Austin, became the assistant to Democrat-turned-Republican Rick Perry, the future governor of Texas who in 1990 had unseated the Democrat Jim Hightower in a heated race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner.
In the new position, Waterfield worked to establish the Texas Agriculture Finance Authority. He soon resigned the position. After leaving the agriculture department, Waterfield was active in the Austin business community, having owned Waterworks Productions and Waterfield and Associates, Inc.
Waterfield died in Austin at the age of sixty-seven.
He is interred at the Edith Ford Memorial Cemeteries in Canadian.
Wyoming State Bar. (Counsel).