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Richard A.  FREEMAN

Dick Freeman, nato a Washington nel 1933, è stato un ragazzo prodigio, diplomatosi all'età di 12 anni, conseguì il "bachelor's degree in liberal arts" presso l'Università di Chicago a quella di 15, e quello in "business administration" assieme alla laurea in legge all'età di 21, presso la George Washington University.

 Noto per aver stupito l'America con la sua partecipazione alla trasmissione radiofonica "Quiz Kid" nella quale all'età di 12 anni, risolveva quiz matematici che procuravano problemi a non pochi concorrenti adulti, è stato fino a tarda età un Senior Vice President della Oppenheimer Investment Co e ha vissuto ad Atlanta , assieme alla moglie Louise, fino al giorno della sua scomparsa avvenuta a causa di una pancreatite il 29 giugno 2009.

 Precocissimo anche nel bridge, all'età di 18 anni divenne il più giovane Life Master di tutti i tempi e vinse il suo primo NABC'S a quella di 21 (con Kaplan, Kay, Hirschberg e Roth).

 In coppia con Nick Nickell, si unì alla leggendaria squadra formata da  Hamman, Wolff, Soloway, e dai "Meckwell", e con essa vinse 8 Spingold, 6 Reisinger, 3 Mitchell, 2 Vanderbilt e sul piano internazionale ben 3 Bermuda Bowl.

 È stato un World Grand Master che ha occupato stabilmente uno dei primi 20 posti nella classifica dei migliori giocatori viventi e la ACBL nel 2001 gli ha concesso l'onore di far parte della Hall of Fame.

  Richard Freeman (1933 – 2009), a "Quiz Kid" of radio fame in the Forties, became ACBL’s youngest Life Master in the Fifties and at the time of his death had claimed 22 North American championships and three world championships.

Freeman graduated from high school at the age of 12 and enrolled at the University of Chicago, earning a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts by the age of 15. At the age of 21, he had earned another bachelor’s degree (in business administration) and a law degree from George Washington University in DC.

Freeman became the ACBL’s youngest Life Master in 1952 at the age of 18. In the mid-Fifties, he began directing and became legendary for his speed with a pencil in the days when games were posted and scored by hand.

He won his first North American championship in 1955 — the Men’s (now Open) B-A-M Teams — playing with Edgar Kaplan, Norman Kay, Ralph Hirschberg and Al Roth.

Freeman is best known, however, for his partnership with Nick Nickell and for the success their team — Bob Hamman–Bobby Wolff, Paul Soloway, Jeff Meckstroth–Eric Rodwell — enjoyed for many years. The Nickell partnership dates back to their days at the University of North Carolina. During the early Eighties, they played serious bridge “semi-regularly” while Nickell lived in Atlanta. Nickell said he was continually impressed with Freeman’s approach to bridge. “He had a lot of energy and an infinite capacity to think and analyze things, and he saw stuff in the cards that mere mortals don't see. He went to the table with one objective: to win.” Playing on the Nickell team, Dick won 8 Spingolds, 6 Reisingers, 2 Vanderbilts, and 3 Bermuda Bowls.

Dick’s victories in the Bermuda Bowl came in 1995, 2000, and 2003. Dick was very proud of the fact that he was the oldest person to ever win the Bermuda Bowl.

Freeman said he considers bridge to be more than a game, more than a sport — "it broadens your perspective." He credited his wife, Louise, with teaching him how to win.