Richard Griffiths (November, 1827 – April 28, 1891) was a Welsh-born American labor union leader.
Born in Swansea in Wales, Griffiths was inspired by the writings of James Cook, and he ran away from home at the age of 14 to become a cabin boy.
He served on the USS United States and was later promoted to sergeant.
[1] After leaving the marines, Griffiths settled in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, where he became a boot crimper.
In 1879, he was elected as Grand Worthy Foreman of the Knights of Labor, the union's second-in-command, serving until 1882, when he became treasurer.