Francis R. Breen

Francis Richmond Breen was born on December 16, 1915, in Reno, Nevada. He earned a law degree from Stanford University and served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy during World War II. Upon returning from the war, he settled in Reno and began a long career in the practice of law, concentrating over the years in the fields of estates, trusts, and environmental law.

In 1960, Breen was appointed a Trustee of the Max C. Fleischmann Foundation, serving in that capacity until the foundation completed its work and closed in 1980. His legal counsel and stewardship extended to a range of conservation causes as well. He spent many years with the conservation group Ducks Unlimited, serving as both a national and international trustee.

Breen also worked closely with Velma Johnston, known as Wild Horse Annie, to establish Wild Horse Organized Assistance (WHOA), a non-profit organization founded in 1971 dedicated to protecting the wild horses of the American West. He died on June 17, 2002, and is buried in Dayton, Nevada.