Often seen around campus rocking one of his colorful baseball hats, Richard “Hats” is the backbone of the Lincoln Campus. For 38 years Richard has been in charge of preserving our most populated buildings on campus, always making sure that the main building, science wing and weight room are properly maintained for our staff and students. Every single member of the “lion den” is dependent on Richard’s relentless commitment and tenacity for a job that is too often overlooked.

As part of his duties, Richard wakes up early every morning in order to arrive at school and ensure that all buildings under his care are ready for the students and teachers who use those facilities.

“I open up the school, make sure the hallways are clean, and the restrooms are stocked, that’s basically my job.”

Richard began his long-running career at Lincoln at the age of 22. Since the early 80s, his presence has been a reliable constant at the school. Today, he continues to catch the attention of passersby with his unique array of hats. An avid sports fan, Richard loves to use his accessories as a way to show support for his favorite Los Angeles franchises.

“Rams and Lakers, those are my teams…and Dodgers. I’ve got [my hats] hanged up and on shelves,” said Richard. “I’ve got kind of a collection of them.”

Tending to the needs of the school’s facilities can be tedious, so when he’s not at work Richard loves spending time with his family.

“I’m a father, I’ve got two kids and five grand-kids. Bet you probably didn’t know that.”

Although a longtime member of the Lion Den, Richard admits that his time as a groundskeeper will be coming to an end soon. Students will be relieved, however, to learn that Richard plans to work at Lincoln for two more years before hanging up his hat—the end of a 40-year career.

“I enjoy my job, I enjoy the kids. Everything’s been good for me here,” said Richard. “I’ve seen a lot of kids graduate and come back and say hi and move on with their lives.”

Richard the Lincoln community is so privileged to have an incredibly diligent and kind man such as yourself. On behalf of the entire community we say thank you, hats off to you.