Bill Richardson, who served two terms as governor of New Mexico and 14 years as a congressman before devoting himself to the cause of Americans who were being held hostage or who he believed were being wrongfully detained overseas, died on Friday at his summer home in Chatham, Mass., on Cape Cod. His death was announced by the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, which he founded. The cause was not given. Under President Bill Clinton, Mr. Richardson was ambassador to the United Nations, succeeding Madeleine Albright in early 1997, and then secretary of energy, beginning in August 1998. He served in the House of Representatives, as a member of the New Mexico delegation, from January 1983 to February 1997 and as the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

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Persons: Bill Richardson, Bill Clinton, Richardson, Madeleine Albright, William Brewster Organizations: Richardson Center, Global, United Nations, Representatives, New, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Mayflower Locations: New Mexico, Chatham , Mass, Cape Cod, California, Pasadena, Mexico City