Richard Ewell was the first African American to win a national title in both pair skating and single skating. He won National Junior Men in 1970, and in 1972, won the National Junior Pair skating title with Michelle McCladdie, another African American.
In 1965, he became the first African American to be accepted into a figure skating club. After winning the U.S. National Junior Pair title in 1972, Richard went on to star in Ice Capades and now coaches figure skating in the Los Angeles area.