Representative Richard Lowell Roudebush

Richard Lowell Roudebush (January 18, 1918 – January 28, 1995) was an American World War II veteran, farmer, veterans’ advocate, and Republican politician who served five terms as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1961 to 1971. His decade in the House of Representatives coincided with a significant period in American history, during which he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Indiana constituents.

Roudebush was born on a farm in Hamilton County, near Noblesville, Indiana, where he attended the local Hamilton County schools. Growing up in a rural setting, he became familiar with agricultural life and the concerns of farming communities that would later inform his public service. He pursued higher education at Butler University in Indianapolis, graduating in 1941, just as the United States was on the brink of entering World War II.

Following his graduation, Roudebush entered military service during World War II. He served in the United States Army from November 18, 1941, to August 12, 1944, as a demolition specialist with the Ordnance Department. His service took him to the Middle Eastern, North African, and Italian campaigns, where he gained firsthand experience of combat conditions and the needs of servicemembers. After the war, he returned to Indiana and resumed civilian life as a farmer and as a partner in a livestock commission company, maintaining close ties to the agricultural sector.

Roudebush’s wartime experience led him into veterans’ advocacy and organizational leadership. He became active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, rising to serve as National Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1957–1958. In Indiana, he also served as chairman of the Indiana Veterans Commission from 1954 to 1960. In these roles he worked to advance the interests of veterans in areas such as benefits, health care, and recognition of service, building a public profile that helped launch his political career.

Roudebush was elected as a Republican to the Eighty-seventh Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1961, to January 3, 1971. As a member of the House of Representatives, he participated in the democratic process during a transformative era marked by the Cold War, the civil rights movement, and the Vietnam War. He contributed to the legislative process over his five terms in office and represented his Indiana district’s interests on national issues. During his tenure he was associated with the broader congressional oversight and national security environment of the period, which included the work of committees such as the House Un-American Activities Committee, reflecting the era’s concerns about internal security and communism.

In 1970, Roudebush chose not to seek reelection to the House of Representatives. Instead, he became the Republican candidate for the United States Senate from Indiana, challenging incumbent Democrat Vance Hartke. The contest proved to be the closest Senate election in Indiana history, and although Roudebush was ultimately unsuccessful, the narrow margin underscored his prominence and competitiveness in statewide politics. His departure from the House in 1971 marked the end of his decade-long congressional service but not the end of his involvement in federal affairs.

Roudebush later returned to federal service in an executive capacity. Drawing on his long-standing commitment to veterans, he was appointed Administrator of Veterans Affairs, serving from 1974 to 1977. In this role, he oversaw the federal agency responsible for administering benefits, health care, and services to millions of American veterans, continuing the focus on veterans’ issues that had characterized much of his earlier public life.

Richard Lowell Roudebush died in Sarasota, Florida, on January 28, 1995. He was buried with honor in Arlington National Cemetery, reflecting national recognition of his military service and public career. In tribute to his contributions to veterans and to the state of Indiana, the Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Indianapolis was named in his honor, ensuring that his legacy in veterans’ affairs and public service would endure.