Fowler was first elected mayor of St. Albert in 1965, and served a single term.
He resigned in 1989, months before the end of his third term, to run as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the 1989 provincial election in St. Albert.
Incumbent New Democrat Bryan Strong was not seeking re-election, and Fowler defeated his closest challenger, Liberal Len Bracko, by more than two thousand votes.
When Ralph Klein became Premier in December 1992, Fowler was named Minister of Justice and Attorney General.
Richard S. Fowler Junior High School in St. Albert is named in his honour.