Robert "Tex" William Richards Jr. (August 9, 1889 – November 7, 1918) was an American

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

player on the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

Panthers team from 1907 to 1910. He was the captain and fullback of the undefeated and unscored-upon 1910 Pittsburgh Panthers football team, coached by

Joseph H. Thompson Joseph "Colonel Joe" Henry Thompson (September 26, 1871 – February 1, 1928) was a highly decorated World War I veteran, recipient of the Medal of Honor, lawyer, Pennsylvania state senator, head football coach of the University of Pittsburgh ...

, and considered by many to be that season's national champion.

Early years

Richards was the son of Robert William Richards Sr. and Hannah Sarah Richards. Robert Sr., an American of

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

descent, was a traveling bookseller in the

Pacific Rim The Pacific Rim comprises the lands around the rim of the Pacific Ocean. The ''Pacific Basin'' includes the Pacific Rim and the islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Rim roughly overlaps with the geologic Pacific Ring of Fire. List of co ...

in the 1880s, when he met a

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

school teacher, Hannah Sarah Harrex. They were married in 1888. Robert Jr. was born in

, Australia. He had three younger siblings: David John, Harry Charles and Ethlyn Ruth; Harry and Ethlyn died as children in Australia. Robert Sr., Hannah, Robert and David immigrated to U.S. in 1901 and settled in

Wilkinsburg Wilkinsburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The borough has a population of 15,930 as of the 2010 census. Wilkinsburg is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The borough was named for John Wilkins Jr., a United States Army ...

, Pennsylvania Richards a 1905 graduate of

Wilkinsburg High School The Wilkinsburg School District is a small, urban public school district serving the mostly African American Municipality of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. The district encompasses approximately . According to 2000 federal census data, it served a ...

. His mother, Hannah, was Head of Household for

Andrew Mellon Andrew William Mellon (; March 24, 1855 – August 26, 1937), sometimes A. W. Mellon, was an American banker, businessman, industrialist, philanthropist, art collector, and politician. From the wealthy Mellon family of Pittsburgh, Pennsylva ...

, future

United States Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

, and his family. For a time, Robert and David also worked for the Mellon family as bodyguards.

College years

Robert graduated from the

in 1910 with a degree in

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

. He was president of his class and a member of Alpha Alpha Fraternity. He was a four-year letterman in track and field and football. Robert's brother, David, also played on the 1909 and 1910 teams. Robert returned to Pitt to help with subsequent teams after 1910. He was an active alumnus, participating in dinners and events.

Personal life

In 1915 Robert married Jennie Elton Wyatt. In 1916 they had their first and only child, Darlie Virginia. Robert worked at the

Standard Steel Car Company The Standard Steel Car Company (SSC) was a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock in the United States that existed between 1902 and 1934. Established in 1902 in Butler, Pennsylvania by John M. Hansen and "Diamond Jim" Brady, the company quic ...

Butler, Pennsylvania Butler is a city and the county seat of Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located north of Pittsburgh and is part of the Greater Pittsburgh region. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 13,502. History Butler was na ...

, as a mechanical engineer. He served in the

Pennsylvania Army National Guard The Pennsylvania Army National Guard, abbreviated PAARNG, is part of the United States Army National Guard and is based in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Together with the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, it is directed by the Pennsylva ...

for 3 months in Company L, 16th Regiment as a private, and 2 years in Company A, 18th Regiment and 3 years in Company K, 18th Regiment, where he became a sergeant."Form 1 Registration Card" (World War I Draft Registration Card), ''United States Government'', completed June 5, 1917. Information on back side of card. He died from the

Spanish flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

in Butler in 1918."Robert W. Richards Pneumonia Victim", Eagle, November 8, 1918. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania.

References

Sources

Guy, Richard R., "Football Season Closes with Pitt Victory", ''The Gazette Times'', November 25, 1910. ''The Owl'', University of Pittsburgh yearbook, 1912. "Robert W. Richards Pneumonia Victim", ''Eagle'', November 8, 1918. {{DEFAULTSORT:Richards, Tex 1889 births 1918 deaths American football fullbacks Burials in Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Panthers football players College men's track and field athletes in the United States Sportspeople from Melbourne People from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Pennsylvania Deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic in the United States Pennsylvania National Guard personnel United States Army non-commissioned officers Deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic in Pennsylvania