Although Richard Rupley was a Hoosier by birth, his deep commitments to history, education, and service stretched far beyond the boundaries of his home state. Born March 29, 1933, in Marion, Indiana, he was the oldest child of Marion E. and Alice Rupley. Twin sisters later joined the family.

Richard attended school in his hometown before moving on to study business at Indiana University. In 1956, he began a career with the United States Air Force that would last for nearly three decades. His tour of duty took him to places as diverse as Vietnam, Colorado, New Jersey, Illinois, Missouri, Washington, and the Upper Peninsula. Rupley’s responsibilities in the Air Force were equally varied and included combat crew command. Rupley spent a significant portion of his time, however, involved in the ROTC programs at technology-focused colleges. In 1978, he was assigned to the program at Michigan Technological University. Enrollment more than quadrupled under Rupley’s leadership. Upon his retirement from active duty with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1982, Rupley estimated that he had commissioned more than one hundred Air Force officers at Michigan Tech and elsewhere.

Although Rupley was no longer in active military service, he remained busy as an instructor at Michigan Tech. In addition to his business education--which included an MBA from the University of Missouri--Rupley had obtained a Master of Arts degree from Northern Michigan University and devoted himself to studying history in his personal time. For twenty years further, Rupley taught courses on military and American history to eager students. He wrote numerous articles for publication in magazines catering to fellow enthusiasts of history, and he volunteered extensively with the Chassell Historical Organization, the Keweenaw County Historical Society, and the Houghton County Historical Society, as well as a number of charitable groups in the community.

Richard Rupley died in Houghton on July 5, 2010. He was survived by his wife, three children, and a number of other relatives and friends.