Francis R. Breen Papers

Francis Richmond Breen was born on December 16, 1915, in a house on Winter Street in Reno, Nevada. His parents and grandparents were a pioneer family who settled in Dayton, Nevada, in the 1860s. Breen attended schools in Reno and received an undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada. He was the first to be awarded the Fleischmann scholarship offered by the University. After graduating, Breen continued his education at Stanford University where he received a degree in Law.

Before beginning his career, Breen served as a Navy Lieutenant in World War II. Upon his return, he settled in Reno and began his long career in law. Over the years, he specialized in estates, trusts, and environmental law. In 1960, he was appointed Trustee for the Fleischmann Foundation, serving in that capacity until the foundation was closed in 1980.

Breen was an outdoorsman and avid fisherman, hunter, skier, and backcountry horseman. He spent many years working with the conservation group Ducks Unlimited, serving as a national and international trustee. He also worked closely with Velma Johnston (aka Wild Horse Annie) to establish Wild Horse Organized Assistance (WHOA). This group was founded in 1971 as a non-profit organization that worked to protect wild horses of the Amerian West.

Breen passed away on June 17, 2002, and is buried in Dayton, Nevada.