William S. Richardson, An Annotated Bibliography: Biography

"As a boy, Bill Richardson could not afford to go to Kamehameha School, even though his grandfather had been an aide to Queen Liliuokalani. His father, the son of this staunch royalist, was jailed by the Republic after the revolution, but carried on the legacy of protest against the haole oligarchy by joining actively in the weak Democratic party of Hawaii. Richardson, who grew up in the tough Palama section of Honolulu, recalled his grandmother's aloha for the Democrats, and when Burns asked him to help organize Hawaiian voters in alliance with the new Japanese electors, the part-Hawaiian Richardson responded warmly. He well remembered that Roosevelt High School would not admit his brother and sister, and etched even deeper was the memory of his paralyzed grandfather--a royalist until death--denouncing the oligarchy." [p. 317]

William Shaw Richardson 1919-2010

 
1919 Born December 22, son of Wilfred K.K.A. Richardson

1941 B.A. University of Hawaii

1943 J.D. University of Cincinnati

1942-46 U.S. Army (rank of Captain); served in the Philippines.

1947 Married Amy Corinne Ching

1955 & 1957 Chief Clerk of the Territorial Senate

1956 Delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Hawaii Territory

1956-62 Hawaii Territory Democrative Party Chair

1960 Delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Hawaii

1961 President, Hawaii State Bar Association

1962-66 Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii

1966-82 Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court (see Jurisprudence tab)

1967 LL.D. (Honorary) University of Cincinnati

1973 Established the School of Law at the University of Hawaii

2010 Died June 21, Honolulu, Hawaii; buried in National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl), Honolulu, Hawaii.

June 23, 2010 H. Res. 1470 Honoring the life, achievements, and distinguished career of Chief Justice William S. Richardson introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Rep. Charles Djou (Republican).  Passed July 20. Text:

Whereas William S. Richardson was born on December 22, 1919, and spent most of his childhood in Palama and Kaimuki;

Whereas William S. Richardson was born to a working class family of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Caucasian ancestry;

Whereas William S. Richardson served as a platoon leader in the United States Army during World War II and was later inducted into the Infantry Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame;

Whereas William S. Richardson served as Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii from 1962–1966;

Whereas William S. Richardson led the Hawaii Democratic Party from 1956–1962;

Whereas William S. Richardson served as the Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court from 1966–1982;

Whereas the William S. Richardson School of Law honors his leadership by opening educational and professional avenues for the Islands’ most disadvantaged groups;

Whereas William S. Richardson upheld traditional Hawaiian laws and expanded public rights for Native Hawaiians and all people in Hawaii;

Whereas as William S. Richardson was awarded the Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Bar Association; and

Whereas, on June 21, 2010, at the age of 90, William S. Richardson passed away in Honolulu, Hawaii:

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) honors the life, achievements, and distinguished career of Chief Justice William S. Richardson;

(2) emphasizes that, among his judicial accomplishments, Chief Justice William S. Richardson changed the face of higher education in Hawaii by opening avenues for the Islands’ most disadvantaged groups and by building a more equitable society for the people of Hawaii; and

(3) recognizes the William S. Richardson School of Law, the educational institution that bears his name, as a significant part of the legacy of William S. Richardson.