Harry A. Richardson

Harry A. Richardson
United States Senator from Delaware
In office March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1913
Preceded by	J. Frank Allee
Succeeded by	Willard Saulsbury, Jr.
Member of the Delaware Senate
In office January 4, 1888 - January 3, 1889
Personal details
Born	(1853-01-01)January 1, 1853 Camden, Delaware
Died	June 16, 1928(1928-06-16) (aged 75) Dover, Delaware
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Priscilla Walker
Residence	Dover, Delaware
Occupation	businessman
Religion	Baptist

Harry Alden Richardson (January 1, 1853 – June 16, 1928) was an American businessman and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party, and was U.S. Senator from Delaware.

Early life and family

Richardson was born in Camden, Delaware, the son of Alden B. Richardson and Lucy R. Richardson. His family moved to Dover, Delaware when he was a small child in 1858. He attended the common schools there and the Kent Academy in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. In 1876 he married Priscilla Walker. They were members of the Baptist Church.

Professional and political career

Richardson worked in his father's canning and packing business in Dover, eventually becoming a partner and assuming control in 1894. He continued in this business throughout his life, was President of the First National Bank of Dover, and was also interested in various public-service corporations.

In his first attempt at public office, he ran for the office of Governor of Delaware in 1890, but lost to Democrat Robert J. Reynolds. Then, many years later, in 1907, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. During this term, he served with the Republican majority in the 60th, 61st, and 62nd U.S. Congress. In the 61st Congress, he was Chairman of the Committee to Examine Branches of the Civil Service, and in the 62nd Congress he was Chairman of the Committee on Pacific Islands and Puerto Rico, and a member of the Committee on Printing. He did not seek reelection in 1913, and in all, served from March 4, 1907, to March 4, 1913, during the administrations of U.S. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William H. Taft.

Death and legacy

Richardson died at Dover is buried there in the Lakeside Methodist Episcopal Cemetery.

Almanac

The General Assembly chose the U.S. Senators, who took office March 4 for a six-year term.

References

• Munroe, John A. (1993). History of Delaware. Newark, Delaware: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 0-87413-493-5. 

Images

• Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress

External links

• Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
• Delaware’s Members of Congress
• Find a Grave
• The Political Graveyard

United States Senators from Delaware
Class 1	Read Latimer White Horsey C. Rodney Thomas Clayton McLane Naudain R. Bayard John M. Clayton Wales J. Bayard Jr Riddle J. Bayard Jr T. Bayard Sr Gray Ball H. du Pont Wolcott T. C. du Pont T. Bayard Jr Townsend Tunnell Williams Roth Carper
Class 2	Bassett Vining Joshua Clayton Wells J. Bayard Sr Wells Van Dyke D. Rodney Ridgely John M. Clayton Thomas Clayton Spruance John M. Clayton Comegys Bates W. Saulsbury Sr E. Saulsbury Higgins Kenney Allee Richardson W. Saulsbury Jr Ball T. C. du Pont Hastings Hughes Buck Frear Boggs Biden Kaufman Coons