Richard was one of the original co-founders, directors and presidents of TUFF.
An alumni of the Georgia Institute of Technology, he served as the president of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association in addition to being the first president of TUFF. He was also the Founder and President of Whitehead Die and Casting, then an Atlanta-based corporation he founded in 1950.
Richard was one of three notable Georgia Tech alumni from whom then President of Georgia Tech, Joseph Pettit, requested assistance to create a vibrant and expanded research enterprise at Georgia Tech in 1982. President Pettit desired to create an environment where university-industry partnerships and entrepreneurial startups could thrive alongside university research. In order to support this vision, new research facilities needed to be developed. Unfortunately, at the time, State appropriation funds were not available. President Pettit asked Richard, J. Frank Smith and Thomas Hall to help solve his dilemma. The result was the creation of TUFF.
Sadly, Richard Whitehead passed away in 1990, but his legacy continues through the successes of both TUFF and Whitehead Die and Casting. His grandson, RK Whitehead, also a Georgia Tech alumni, now runs the successful company out of Gainesville, GA.