William B. Richardson

For other persons named William or Bill Richardson see William Richardson (disambiguation).

William B. Richardson
Member of the Minnesota Senate from the 4th district
In office January 4, 1927 – September 19, 1945
Acting Minnesota Lieutenant Governor
In office August 24, 1936 – January 1, 1937
Governor	Hjalmar Petersen
Preceded by	Hjalmar Petersen
Succeeded by	Gottfrid Lindsten
Personal details
Born	November 10, 1874 Rochester, Minnesota
Died	September 19, 1945 (aged 70) Rochester, Minnesota
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	none
Profession	lawyer, businessman, public official, legislator

William Burdette Richardson (November 10, 1874 – September 19, 1945) was a Republican Party Minnesota politician who served as Mayor of Rochester, Minnesota and in the Minnesota Senate.

Life and career

Richardson was born in Rochester, Minnesota in 1874. His father Henry M. Richardson was an early settler of Olmsted County, Minnesota and was involved in local and state Republican politics. His mother, Sarah McCrillis, was a native of Massachusetts. Richardson attended Rochester High School and later the University of Minnesota Law School, graduating in 1900. He went on to practice law in Rochester with his brother, Harold James Richardson, who was also a lawyer.^[1]

From 1911 to 1917 Richardson was the mayor of Rochester, Minnesota. He was later elected to the Minnesota State Senate in 1926 and re-elected a further five times through 1942. He served as Acting Lieutenant Governor from August 24, 1936 to January 1, 1937 when Governor Floyd B. Olson died and Lieutenant Governor Hjalmar Petersen became governor. While he was never formally sworn into office, as president pro tempore of the Minnesota Senate he was next in the line of succession.^[2] He also served as the acting president of the Minnesota Senate in 1937 as the Lieutenant Governor-elect Gottfrid Lindsten was unable to perform his duties due to illness.^[3]

Richardson died while in office on September 19, 1945. He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Rochester.^[4]

References

1. Leonard, Joseph Alexander (1910). History of Olmsted County, Minnesota: Together with Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers, Citizens, Families and Institutions. Goodspeed Historical Association. pp. 449–451.
2. "Minnesota Lieutenant Governors, 1858-present". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
3. "Richardson, William Burdette -- Legislator Record". Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
4. "William Burdette Richardson (1874 - 1945)". Find A Grave.