Richard Olson (politician), Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetRichard Olson (politician)
American politician
Date of Birth: 03-Aug-1929
Place of Birth: Aurora, Illinois, United States
Date of Death: 05-Aug-2014
Profession: politician
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Leo 
About Richard Olson (politician)
- Richard Elmer Olson (August 3, 1929 – August 5, 2014) was an American politician and insurance executive who served as the Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa, for two consecutive terms from 1972 until 1979. Olson is widely credited with spearheading the ongoing redevelopment and rebirth of downtown Des Moines during his tenure as the city's mayor.
- Downtown Des Moines, the capital and largest city in Iowa, had suffered from neglect and blight by the 1970s.
- Olson oversaw much of the "first wave" of the downtown's redevelopment.
- He was an early proponent of Des Moines' skywalk.
- Olson also supported the construction and development of numerous city landmarks, including the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, the renovation of the riverfront, and Cowles Commons (formerly known as Nollen Plaza).
- Olson successfully persuaded the city's political and business communities to support his redevelopment efforts, including developer and Iowa Realty founder, Bill Knapp.
- In 2014, Knapp called Olson "the spark plug to get things rolling" for downtown Des Moines.
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