Richard Godwin, 82, Reagan Official
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Richard P. Godwin, a longtime executive at Bechtel Corp. and former Defense Department official in the Reagan administration, died March 3 at San Raphael, Calif. He was 82.
After working more than two decades at Bechtel, Godwin was brought to the Defense Department in 1987 to become the first undersecretary for procurement. Godwin was brought in after reports that the Pentagon was paying excessive amounts for items like coffee pots and toilet seats.
Godwin resigned in 1988, saying he wasn’t getting support from Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and Deputy Secretary William Howard Taft IV to carry out the reforms. Since then, many of his changes have been adopted, including competitive bidding.
Godwin joined Bechtel in 1961 and eventually became president of Bechtel Group Inc.
