Richard Tarrant
Encyclopedia
Richard Edward Tarrant, (born August 6, 1942 in Newark, New Jersey
) is an American
businessman, and politician
. Most recently, he was the Republican
nominee for U.S. Senator
from the state of Vermont
in 2006
, but lost the election to Representative Bernie Sanders
. Tarrant and his wife reside in Colchester, VT where he is currently working on his charitable foundation.
in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics. In college he was a first-team All-American in basketball and led the Purple Knights to the Final Four of the 1965 NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament, where they were defeated 93-70 by the University of Evansville
, who had Jerry Sloan
and Larry Humes, both All-Americans. He was drafted by the world champion Boston Celtics
, but was cut before the first game of the season. He went to work for IBM
in Burlington, Vermont
selling computer equipment in the northern part of the state.
and, later, Paul Egerman) founded Burlington Data Processing (BDR) using funds from a Small Business Administration
loan. The company changed its name to Interpretive Data System (IDS) and later to IDX Systems Corporation. BDP initially provided payroll and claims processing for physicians. By 2005, IDX had contracted with thousands of doctors' offices across the country, and provided computer technology for much of the United Kingdom's medical centers.
Between 1995 and 2005, Tarrant was the chairman of the board of IDX
. In 2005, IDX was purchased by General Electric
for $1.2 billion. He currently resides in Colchester, VT with his wife where he works with his charitable foundation.
Tarrant served as a member of the University of Vermont's Board of Trustees for several years and on the Saint Michael's College Board of Trustees. Tarrant donated funds to Saint Michael's for a new athletic center which was named in his parents' honor.
, pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges, admitting that he hid the real costs of the hospital's $367 million expansion—dubbed the Renaissance Project—from state regulators. Tarrant was then removed from the board, along with others who served during the expansion project, but was not implicated in any wrongdoing.
Most recently, Tarrant's foundation invested in the Milton public school system where they provided monetary support for a pilot program ("Home School at School") that gave students an opportunity to learn at different paces.
In 2007, Tarrant's foundation gave $1 million towards the creation of a $1.8 million community center in Winooski, Vermont.
. On September 12, 2006, he won the Republican
nomination, defeating US Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Parke
and marijuana legalization activist Cris Ericson. Tarrant faced Independent
Representative Bernie Sanders
in the November general election. Sanders, who won the Democratic
nomination but ran as an Independent
, defeated Tarrant by 33 percentage points. The race proved to be the most expensive race in Vermont history with both candidates spending close to $13 million. Tarrant spent roughly $7 million of his own money in the race and Sanders raised roughly $6.5 million and spent most of it. Tarrant's campaign was remarkable for its saturation of radio and television with a serial biography of the candidate and attack ads of Sanders.
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman, and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Most recently, he was the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominee for U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from the state of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
in 2006
Vermont United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Vermont was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican turned independent U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords decided to retire. Bernie Sanders, who has represented Vermont's At Large district as one of the few federally elected independents in the country, won...
, but lost the election to Representative Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
. Tarrant and his wife reside in Colchester, VT where he is currently working on his charitable foundation.
Early life
Tarrant graduated from Saint Michael's CollegeSaint Michael's College
Saint Michael's College is a private, residential liberal arts Catholic college. The campus is located in Colchester, Vermont. It was founded in 1904 by the Society of Saint Edmund, a French order of Catholic priests.-History:...
in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics. In college he was a first-team All-American in basketball and led the Purple Knights to the Final Four of the 1965 NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament, where they were defeated 93-70 by the University of Evansville
University of Evansville
The University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, who had Jerry Sloan
Jerry Sloan
Gerald Eugene "Jerry" Sloan , is an American former National Basketball Association player and head coach, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history." Sloan had a career regular-season...
and Larry Humes, both All-Americans. He was drafted by the world champion Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, but was cut before the first game of the season. He went to work for IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
selling computer equipment in the northern part of the state.
Business career
In 1969, Tarrant and his business partners (Robert HoehlRobert Hoehl
Robert "Bob" Hoehl was a co-founder of the software company IDX Systems and a Vermont philanthropist.Born in Brooklyn, NY, Hoehl earned a basketball scholarship to Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont, where he graduated in 1963 with a degree in mathematics...
and, later, Paul Egerman) founded Burlington Data Processing (BDR) using funds from a Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
loan. The company changed its name to Interpretive Data System (IDS) and later to IDX Systems Corporation. BDP initially provided payroll and claims processing for physicians. By 2005, IDX had contracted with thousands of doctors' offices across the country, and provided computer technology for much of the United Kingdom's medical centers.
Between 1995 and 2005, Tarrant was the chairman of the board of IDX
IDX Systems
IDX Systems Corporation was a healthcare software technology company that formerly had headquarters in South Burlington, Vermont, United States. It was founded in 1969 by Robert Hoehl, Richard Tarrant, and Paul Egerman...
. In 2005, IDX was purchased by General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
for $1.2 billion. He currently resides in Colchester, VT with his wife where he works with his charitable foundation.
Tarrant served as a member of the University of Vermont's Board of Trustees for several years and on the Saint Michael's College Board of Trustees. Tarrant donated funds to Saint Michael's for a new athletic center which was named in his parents' honor.
Hospital finance scandal
Richard Tarrant sat on the Board of Trustees Finance and Planning committees, with responsibilities for oversight. In January 2005, William Boettcher, former chief executive officer of Vermont's Fletcher Allen Health CareFletcher Allen Health Care
Fletcher Allen Health Care, together with its partners at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is Vermont's academic medical center. Fletcher Allen target clientele are the one million people in Vermont and northern New York...
, pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges, admitting that he hid the real costs of the hospital's $367 million expansion—dubbed the Renaissance Project—from state regulators. Tarrant was then removed from the board, along with others who served during the expansion project, but was not implicated in any wrongdoing.
Philanthropy
Tarrant and his wife have created the Richard E. and Deborah L. Tarrant Foundation, which make grants intended to enrich the quality of life and communities throughout Vermont. According to the organization's website, their "primary areas of focus are basic human services, education and community-based grantmaking." In 2005, the foundation was listed by the Grantsmanship Center as one of the top 40 Vermont foundations in charitable giving. It is worth noting, however, that the foundation is prohibited from making any donations to pro-choice groups.Most recently, Tarrant's foundation invested in the Milton public school system where they provided monetary support for a pilot program ("Home School at School") that gave students an opportunity to learn at different paces.
In 2007, Tarrant's foundation gave $1 million towards the creation of a $1.8 million community center in Winooski, Vermont.
2006 campaign for U.S. Senate
In 2005, Tarrant announced his candidacy for the US Senate seat vacated by the retirement of Independent Senator Jim JeffordsJim Jeffords
James Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:...
. On September 12, 2006, he won the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination, defeating US Air Force Lt. Col. Greg Parke
Greg Parke (politician)
Gregory Tarl "Greg" Parke is a retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who was a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Vermont.-Early life:...
and marijuana legalization activist Cris Ericson. Tarrant faced Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
Representative Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders
Bernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
in the November general election. Sanders, who won the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination but ran as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, defeated Tarrant by 33 percentage points. The race proved to be the most expensive race in Vermont history with both candidates spending close to $13 million. Tarrant spent roughly $7 million of his own money in the race and Sanders raised roughly $6.5 million and spent most of it. Tarrant's campaign was remarkable for its saturation of radio and television with a serial biography of the candidate and attack ads of Sanders.
External links
- Official campaign website
- OnTheIssues
- Profile of basketball career by Saint Michael's College
- Eight trustees quit Fletcher Allen board
- Television debate, August 24, 2006, between candidates Rich Tarrant and Cris Ericson on CCTV (podcast), hosted by Marc Johnson