Richards Parker Lyon

RGHF Member and historian Napa, California, USA
“Titch” Harrison, the RGHF historian who shook hands with Paul Harris
1936 Around the World
Plus the entire trip’s notes and letters
“A Process Mind” the entire book.
2011 Inducted into the “1905 Society”

Dr. Richards Parker Lyon 13 July 2011, Napa California. Dick is a 60 year Rotarian with much wisdom to share on these pages. His travels, on behalf of Rotary, in 1936 are historic. His contributions to medicine are remarkable.

His advice: Be effective, do something good for someone each day. Who gets the credit is not of any importance.

Richards P. Lyon was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. It was more likely a Rotary Wheel merging with the Boy Scout Oath and Laws. His boyhood was not unusual for an American boy of that time with the privilege of loving forceful parents, weathering the Crash of 29, who taught that you live one day at a time, with the goal of being “effective” each of those days.

He and his brother, at 19 and 17, circled the world, to ride bicycles 3000 miles through Europe. Rotary and its founder Paul Harris made possible bastions of support in a world that connected only by telegraph. COMPLETE ARTICLE

Education was a must in the Lyon family, and somehow, with dad’s help plus odd jobs like slinging hash, Dick went to Stanford University. A tall boy and an athlete, he became a teammate of Hank Luisetti, a basketball legend who would revolutionize the game.

In 1938, there would be an interruption in Dick’s Stanford life that would take him and his brother Ted on a worldwide trip for eight months.

That spring his grandmother Richards died of kidney failure. Dick and Ted were each to receive $800, a hefty sum in those days, but it could only be spent for riding bicycles all over Europe. Quite a bounty and bikesquite a trip, to say the least.

Dad and mom, faced with a commitment for their two boys, decided that the $1,600 could be stretched. Dad found help from Paul Harris, founder of the Rotary, then established in 57 countries. (see letter, top right) The boys were made Rotary Ambassadors of Goodwill, and the tour was expanded to include Japan, China and the Philippines, after which they traveled by ship to Marseilles, France. (Napa Valley Register) COMPLETE ARTICLE

Many high school and college students are asked to read The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams. Many would say that it is the seminal book on the subject. Well, I am here to tell you now, a wonderful book entitled, “A Process Mind.” and subtitled, “A Timeless Journey of Identifying Problems and Creating Effective Solutions.” by Richards P. Lyon M.D. has replaced or stands shoulder to shoulder with the education of Henry Adams.

Harvey Lyon and Rotary in German – 1927

PDG Harvey Lyon with Dick’s brother Bruce

MILESTONES

Medical Inventions.
“Superior Hose” for the Prevention of Pulmonary Emboli from Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
Operating Room Table Scale for Continuous Weight Monitoring.
Electrolyte “Bear Juice” for Heat Exhaustion/Muscle Cramps for Univ. Of California “Golden Bears” Football Team.
National Prize Winning “Piddle Pattern” Urodynamics, in 1965.
Automotive Inventions.
Rear view mirror alteration to eliminate blind spots and provide exact definition of following car.

Dick Lyon and Jack M. B. Selway at their home, 13 July 2011