In memoriam: Richard Prosser led Junior State of America

Richard Thomas Prosser, 75, died on May 26, 2021. He was born on April 6, 1946, in Fort Collins, Colo., to Helene and Carl Prosser. He received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Sacramento State and a master’s degree in mass communications from San Jose State. He was executive director of Junior State of America from 1969–2007, transforming it from a little-know Northern California program into a nationwide educational institution impacting tens of thousands of students.

He was a passionate and effective advocate for nonpartisan civic education and a steadfast believer in young people’s agency and the student-run nature of JSA.