Richard O. Simpson, the inaugural chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), passed away on July 21 at the age of 93. The CPSC, established in 1972, faced significant opposition from pro-business groups and conservatives during its early years. Despite this, Simpson, who led the CPSC from 1973 to 1975, emphasized that the agency’s mission was to reduce unreasonable risk, rather than eliminate all risk. Known for his balanced approach, he sought to protect consumers while considering the costs incurred by businesses.
One notable accomplishment during Simpson’s tenure was the implementation of child-safety caps on medicine bottles, which may have prevented a trip to the hospital for his own children who accidentally consumed candy-flavored aspirin. Simpson, an electrical engineer by profession, was born in 1930 and grew up in an impoverished family in Missouri. After serving in the Navy and earning a degree in electrical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, he joined the Commerce Department in 1969, where he worked on product safety. Nixon appointed him to head the CPSC in 1972. Simpson ran the agency with transparency, holding all meetings open to the public, and believed in building confidence among the public and manufacturers.
Despite his soft-spoken demeanor, Simpson was a prominent figure in Washington and had significant influence. In his autobiography, he recounted an incident involving Morton Mintz, an investigative reporter at The Washington Post. Mintz had written a story about the Flammable Fabrics Act that concerned Simpson’s boss, Commerce Secretary Maurice Stans. Unable to reach Mintz by phone, Simpson decided to visit the Post’s office on a Saturday and waited until Mintz returned. After a conversation, Mintz conceded that his story was incorrect and restarted his reporting.
Simpson left his role at the CPSC in 1975 due to frustrations with the White House’s delay in reappointing him. He later advocated for disbanding the commission, believing that it had accomplished its goal of increasing awareness of product safety. Simpson passed away in 2023, preceded in death by his wife Patricia Ann Kramer. He is survived by his five children, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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