View source for Willard Amos Richardson (1912-2007), Electrical Engineer

<div style="white-space:nowrap;font-size:125%">'''Omaha, Nebraska, active 1936-1977'''</div style="white-space:nowrap;font-size:125%">

'''Willard A. Richardson''' was born March 13, 1912 in James, Iowa. After graduating from Iowa State, he began his career as an electrical engineer in the 1930s working on rural electrification in Iowa. Richardson joined the [[Henningson Engineering Company, Engineers|Henningson Engineering Company]] in 1936.  [[Henning H. Henningson (1879-1958), Engineer|Henning H. Henningson]] had discovered the young electrical engineer while working on development of the Southeastern Nebraska Public Power District near Beatrice, Nebraska.  At the time, Nebraska’s Senator George W. Norris had joined with President Roosevelt to push legislation establishing the Rural Electrification Administration.  Richardson was instrumental in developing the widespread REA electrical and public power transmission work done by the company during the late 1930s and 1940s. “For years [Henningson Engineering] had been known as ‘the electrical engineering company’.”[[#References|[1:67][4]]]  

In 1946, '''Richardson''' bought a one-third interest in Henningson Engineering Company [[#References|[1:11]]], then in 1950 Henningson offered Richardson and [[Charles W. Durham (1917-2008), Civil Engineer|Charles W. Durham]] his share of the company at book value, agreeing to continue working for the firm. The new company reorganized as [[Henningson Durham & Richardson, Architects & Engineers|Henningson Durham & Richardson]]. The two individuals were the “R” and “D” in the firm’s shortened name, known simply as “HDR.”  Durham was named president, and Richardson was named vice-president; Henningson retired in 1953.[[#References|[2]]] Richardson, when he retired in 1977, sold his stock back to the company with the stipulation that it be made available to deserving employees.  

In 2002, '''Richardson''' and his wife, Leitha Richardson, funded a professorship in electrical and computer engineering at Iowa State University’s College of Engineering in Ames, Iowa. He was a long time member of the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska Independent College Foundation (NICF), served as president of the Omaha Engineers Club and president of the Nebraska Chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and was a long-time volunteer in the Lutheran church and Omaha community affairs. He was president of the congregation of First Lutheran Church, and later of Pacific Hills Lutheran Church, and served on the board, and as chairman and interim director, of the Lutheran Family and Social Service.[[#References|[1][2][3][4]]]

'''Richardson''' died on September 22, 2007, at Gretna, Nebraska. He was survived by his wife of 69 years, Leitha Knigge Richardson, of Gretna; two daughters, Cathie Conley, and Carolyn Roll; six grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.[[#References|[4][5][6][7]]]

==Educational & Professional Associations==
1934: Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa.

1936: engineer, [[Henningson Engineering Company, Engineers]], Omaha, Nebraska.[[#References|[2]]]

1946-1950: engineer and partner (secretary-treasurer), [[Henningson Engineering Company, Engineers|Henningson Engineering Company]], Omaha, Nebraska.[[#References|[3:12]]]

1950-1977: engineer and vice president, [[Henningson Durham & Richardson, Architects & Engineers]], Omaha, Nebraska.[[#References|[3:13]]]

==References==
1.  Bob Reilly, ed., ''LUCKY, The Story of the Durhams and HDR'' (Omaha: Barnum Press, 1998).

2.  HDR Timeline, [2010], accessed January 16, 2013, http://www.hdrinc.com/sites/all/files/assets/about-hdr/hdr-timeline.pdf 

3.  HDR, ''History of Excellence: 90th Anniversary, 1917-2007'' (Omaha: HDR, 2007), accessed January 16, 2013, http://www.hdrinc.com/sites/all/files/assets/about-hdr/history-of-excellence-book.pdf 

4.  “Willard A. Richardson (1912-2007),” ''Ames Tribune'' (September 26, 2007), accessed via Iowa GenWeb on February 26, 2013, http://iagenweb.org/boards/story/obituaries/index.cgi?read=170903 

5.  "Willard Amos Richardson in the Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1856-1940." Accessed May 5, 2017, via Ancestry Library Edition, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/

6.  "Willard Amos Richardson in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007." Accessed May 5, 2017, via Ancestry Library Edition, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/

7.  "Willard A. Richardson," Find A Grave Memorial # 121406403. Accessed May 5, 2017, via Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/index.html

==Page Citation== 

Alan Eastman and [[D. Murphy]], “{{PAGENAME}},” {{Template:ArchtPageCitation}} May 5, 2017. {{Template:ArchtPageCitation2}} {{LOCALMONTHNAME}} {{LOCALDAY}}, {{CURRENTYEAR}}.


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