William Burdette Richardson (November 10, 1874 – September 19, 1945) was a

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

Minnesota politician who served as Mayor of Rochester, Minnesota and in the Minnesota Senate.

Life and career

Richardson was born in

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic. Acco ...

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. 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 A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

of the Minnesota Senate he was next in the line of succession. He also served as the acting president of the Minnesota Senate in 1937 as the Lieutenant Governor-elect

Gottfrid Lindsten Gottfried T. Lindsten (June 27, 1887 – June 2, 1961) was the 29th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. Gottfried T. Lindsten was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He had been employed as a railroad conductor and later as an alderman and lobbyist ...

was unable to perform his duties due to illness. Richardson died while in office on September 19, 1945. He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Rochester.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, William B. 20th-century mayors of places in Minnesota Republican Party Minnesota state senators 1874 births 1945 deaths University of Minnesota Law School alumni Lieutenant governors of Minnesota Mayors of Rochester, Minnesota Minnesota lawyers