Poet, Playwright, and Lyricist Richard Brenneman
Richard Brenneman, a scientist by profession and poet at heart, was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. A champion wrestler in high school, he earned a wrestling scholarship to Lehigh University, where he was the team captain, and an Olympic alternate. After graduating with a B.S. in engineering, he later earned an M.S. in sociology and a Ph.D. in industrial sociology from the University of Pittsburgh.
Richard had a rich and varied career, which included working as a coal mine engineer, a steel production foreman, and a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, USC, UCLA, and Cal State L.A. He worked for NASA during the height of the space race and was director of the Indoctrination Center where system training and research was conducted by The Rand Corporation.
He hosted two early public television science shows called ‘Innovations’ on Channel 28, and ‘Science Safari’ on cable television. He served as executive secretary to the City of Los Angeles Committee on Utilization of Space Technology.
He said his true calling was music and poetry. He wrote numerous musicals, songs and hundreds of poems, and produced two musicals, including ‘The Schizophrenics’ at Theatre Palisades. His legacy lives on in his poetry that he wrote until he could longer hold a pen. He passed away in 2006.
Music by John Dusenberry 
