(January 6, 2026) – Washington, D.C. – The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) mourns the passing of the founder of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) and CSF, former Congressman, Richard T. “Dick” Schulze (R-PA). Congressman Schulze died peacefully at his home on December 23, 2025, at the age of 96, with his wife of 33 years Nancy Schulze at his side. A veteran and patriot who served in both the U.S. Merchant Marine and the U.S. Army, Dick Schulze was a successful businessman, an elected official at the state and federal levels, a conservationist, and an avid outdoorsman whose life was defined by service to country and community.
In 1989, Congressman Schulze’s lifelong interest in conservation, hunting, and fishing, led him to create both the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. Recognizing early on that America’s outdoor heritage transcends party lines, he partnered with then-Congressman Lindsay Thomas (D-GA) to serve as Vice Chairman of the Caucus. From this bipartisan foundation, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus has grown into the largest and most active caucus in the United States Congress, serving as the frontline for conservation, wildlife, and fisheries policy in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.
To support the Sportsmen’s Caucus and to serve as the conduit between the sportsmen’s community and Congress, Congressman Schulze was instrumental in creating CSF in 1989 and chaired the inaugural Congressional Sportsmen’s Banquet that same fall. Over the ensuing decades, CSF has become the leading authority on sportsmen’s policy at both the federal and state levels, carrying forward the bipartisan vision Congressman Schulze championed throughout his career.
Beyond his role as CSF’s founder, Congressman Schulze brought deep legislative experience to conservation policy, serving on the House Natural Resources (Interior) Committee and later on the National Fish & Wildlife Board, as well as the National Migratory Bird Commission. His leadership helped elevate conservation as a national priority and ensured that sportsmen and women were active participants in shaping conservation policy in Washington.
“Dick Schulze was a dedicated outdoorsman and visionary, recognizing that sportsmen and women needed a strong voice and a seat at the table in the policy arena in order for our outdoor traditions to survive,” said Jeff Crane, President and CEO of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “Dick was a mentor, an advocate to the very end, and a great friend. America’s 55 million-plus sportsmen and women owe Dick our gratitude for safeguarding our outdoor pursuits for generations to come.”
Congressman Schulze was formally honored by CSF at the 25th Congressional Sportsmen’s Banquet in 2014. In 2023, he and his friend and co-founder Lindsay Thomas were jointly presented with CSF’s highest honor, the Dingell-Young Award, which is conferred upon individuals who exemplify extraordinary leadership and collaboration in advancing the conservation of America’s fish, wildlife, and habitat resources.
Congressman Thomas offered these condolences, “I had come to know Dick Schulze as a highly respected Member of the House long before he appointed me as Vice-Chairman of the Sportsmen’s Caucus. Nothing I have been involved in my life has given me a higher sense of ‘doing good work’ as stewards of our natural resources than this. We will miss you Dick but will never forget the great contributions you have made to the future of the wonderful outdoor world that we cherish.”
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