Dick Brandt was born in Beloit, Wisconsin in 1929 and grew up in Mount Vernon, Ohio. He graduated from Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio in 1952 with a degree in chemistry. He married Phyllis Corne in 1952. He was employed by Babcock and Wilcox in Alliance, Ohio before being drafted into the Army and sent to Frankfort, Germany. After his release from the Army, Dick worked as a chemist for various companies, including Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Livermore, California before coming to Handford in 1981. He retired from Handford in 1991. After his retirement, Dick volunteered as a career consultant for the American Chemical Society for a number of years. He also volunteered as a Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisor (SHIBA), delivered Meals on Wheels – served on their board, and was on the Pasco Senior Center advisory board.