Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/108

This page needs to be proofread.

KICHARDSON


RICKARDS


from Jan. 22, 1812, to April 18, 1814, when he resigned and removed to Portsmouth. N.H. He became U.S. attorney for the district of New Hampshire in 1S14. and was appointed chief jus- tice of the supreme court of New Hampshire by Governor Plumer. serving, 1816-38. He also served as chairman of a commission to revise the laws of the state in 1826, and received the degree LL.D. from Dartinoutli college in 1827. He is the author of: The New Hampshire Justice (1824); The Toirn Officer (1824); and was co-reporter of the Xeic Hamp^^Jiire Superior Court Cases 1819- 44). He died in Chester. N.H.. March 3, 1838.

RICHARDSON, Wilson Gaines, educator, was lK)rn in Maysville. Ky., Dec. 9, 1825; son of Thomas Gaines and Sarah (Perry) Richardson; grandson of Richard and Sarah (Gaines) Richardson and of Capt. John and Elizabetli (Leathers) Perry of Woodford county, Ky. His maternal grand- father was one of seven brothers, who went out in one of Virginia's regiments and fought through the Revolutitm. He was graduated from the University of Alabama, A.B., 1844, A.M., 1847; was tutor in ancient languages at the university, 1846-49; adjunct professor of ancient languages and English literature, 1849-50; traveled in Eu- rope. 1851-54 and was professor of Latin and French at the University of Mississippi, 1854-59, and at Oakland college. Miss., 1859-62. He en- listed as a private in the Lamar rifles in the civil war, was sliot through the thigh at Gaines's Mill, was appointed paymaster, C.S. navy by Presi- dent Davis, assigned to the ship Sehna, was taken prisoner in the battle of Mobile Bay and confined for six months on Ship Island. He was principal of the female institute at Oxford, Miss., 18G.5-66; professor of ancient languages and French at Davidson college, N.C., 1866-74; professor of Latin and French at Central university, Ky., 1874-78: and professor of languages at Austin college, Texas. 1878-81. He attended Princeton Tlieological seminary, 1882-84; was licensed to preach by the presbytery of New Brunswick, N.J., April 30. 18^94, and was pastor at Staunton, Tenn., 1884-86. He was married Feb. 4. 1857, to Ix)uisa Vinson, daughter of Dr. Robert Lewis and Martha (Bush) Kennon of Jackson, Miss.; and after her de^tli was married, Feb. 10, 1876, to Mrs. Anne Herring McAfee, at Harrisburg, Va. The honorary degree of Ph.D. was conferred on him by Hirara college in 1876. He is the author of: Catalogue oj the Library of the University of Alabama {\>i\^)x Ixttin Pronunciation in Amer- ican Colleaes (1H75) and revised and edited the " Enryrlopjedia of the New West"' (1881). He died at Staunton. Tenn.. July 5. 1886.

RICHMAN, Irving Berdine, historian, was born in Muscatine. Iowa. Oct. 27, 1861; son of Dewitt Clinton and Mary (Berdine) Richman;


grandson of Evert and Mary (Scott) Richman, and of Jacob Cook and Matilda (Hawk) Berdine, and a descendant of Holland ancestors on his father's side and of English on his mother's. He was graduated from the State University of Iowa in 1883, and engaged in the practice of law in Musoatine, Iowa, in 1885. He was married, June 8, 1887, to Elizabeth, daughter of Josepii Alexander and Cyrena (Bisbee) Green of Musca- tine, Iowa. In 1889 he was elected a representa- tive in the state legi-slature of Iowa, presided as temporary chairman of the state convention that nominated Horace Boies for governor, and in 1891 was re-elected to the legislature. He was appointed by President Cleveland. U.-S. consul- general at St. Gall, Switzerland, serving as such, 1893-98. After his return to the United States he began preparation for the writing of his nota- ble history of Rhode Island, James Bryce, M.P., having recommended this commonwealth as de- serving of special study and philosopiiical treat- ment. He is the autlior of: John Broicn Among the Quakers and Other Sketches (1894 and 1896); Appenzell, A Swiss Study (London, 1895), and Rhode Island: Its Making and Its Meaning:— A Survey of the Annals of the Commonwealth from its Settlement to the Death of Roger Williams^ 163C-16S3, with an introduction by James Biyce, M.P., D.C.L. (1902). and contributions to the Atlantic Monthly, Political Science Quarterly, Harvard Laiv Revietv, and other periodicals.

RICHTER, Henry Joseph, R.C. bisliop, was born in Neuenkirchen, Oldenburg, Germany, April 9, 1838; son of JohnHenr}' and Anna Maria Elisabeth (Albers) Richter. He emigrated to the United States in 1854, and attended St. Paul's school and Mt. St. Mary's seminary. Cincinnati, Ohio; was graduated from the American college . at Rome in 1865, and was ordained there. June 10, 1865, by Cardinal Patrizzi. He returned to Cincinnati: was vice-president and professor of dogma, philosophy and liturgy at Mt. St. Marys seminary, 1865-70, and rector at St. Laurence and chaplain of the academy of Mt. St. Vincent. 1870-83. On the erection of the diocese of Grand Rapids, May 19, 1882. he was chosen as its first bishop; was appointed, Jan. 30, 1883, and was consecrated, April 22, 1883, by Coadjutor Bishop Elder, assisted by Bishops Borgess of Detroit and McCloskey of Louisville, Ky.

RICKARDS, John Ezra, governor of Montana. was born in Delaware City, Del., July 23, 1848; son of David Townsend and Mary Rickards, and a descendant of Huguenots and Scots. Both his grandparents were commissioned ofllicers in the Revolutionary war. Jolin E. Rickards left the public scliool at Middletown. Del., in 1862, and became clerk in a store in Wilmington, Del. In 1870 he removed to Pueblo, Col., and thence to