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Richardson was born to Willis Baker Richardson and the former Nannie Coon on Sandy Creek near the community of Caddo in Stephens County in north central Texas. At the time of Richardson's birth, Caddo had a population in the 1890 census of only seventy-five persons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnc01|author=William R. Hunt|title= Caddo, Texas|publisher=''The Handbook of Texas''|accessdate=February 13, 2020}}</ref> He attended Simmons College (later Hardin-Simmons University), from which he procured his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912. He then moved to [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1914 from the [[University of Chicago]]. In 1915, Richardson wed the former Pauline Mayes (1892-1965). The couple had one son, Rupert Richardson, Jr.<ref name=handbook>{{cite web|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fri52|author=Mark Odintz|title=Rupert N. Richardson|publisher=''The Handbook of Texas'' on-line|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|accessdate=February 13, 2020}}</ref>

Richardson was born to Willis Baker Richardson and the former Nannie Coon on Sandy Creek near the community of Caddo in Stephens County in north central Texas. At the time of Richardson's birth, Caddo had a population in the 1890 census of only seventy-five persons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnc01|author=William R. Hunt|title= Caddo, Texas|publisher=''The Handbook of Texas''|accessdate=February 13, 2020}}</ref> He attended Simmons College (later Hardin-Simmons University), from which he procured his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912. He then moved to [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1914 from the [[University of Chicago]]. In 1915, Richardson wed the former Pauline Mayes (1892-1965). The couple had one son, Rupert Richardson, Jr.<ref name=handbook>{{cite web|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fri52|author=Mark Odintz|title=Rupert N. Richardson|publisher=''The Handbook of Texas'' on-line|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|accessdate=February 13, 2020}}</ref>

From 1915-1916, Richardson was the principal of Cisco High School in Cisco in Eastland County, Texas, east of Abilene. The next academic year, he was principal at Sweetwater High School in Sweetwater in Nolan County west of Abilene. In 1917, he returned to his ''alma mater,'' Simmons College, asa  professor of history. He served briefly as a [[second lieutenant]] in the [[United States Army]] during [[World War I]]. He subsequently procured his [[Master of Arts]] in 1922 and his [[Ph.D.]] in 1928, both from the [[University of Texas]] at [[Austin]], where he studied under [[Eugene Barker|Eugene C. Barker]]. He was dean of students at Hardin-Simmons from 1926 to 1928, vice president from 1928 to 1943, acting president from 1943 to 1945, and president from 1945 to 1953. Under his presidency the institution expanded in enrollment and size of the physical campus. In 1953, he retired as the Hardin-Simmons emeritus president and returned to the history department, where he continued to teach courses and supervise student theses.<ref name=handbook/>​

From 1915-1916, Richardson was the principal of Cisco High School in Cisco in Eastland County, Texas, east of Abilene. The next academic year, he was principal at Sweetwater High School in Sweetwater in Nolan County west of Abilene. In 1917, he returned to his ''alma mater,'' Simmons College, asa  professor of history. He served briefly as a second [[lieutenant]] in the [[United States Army]] during [[World War I]]. He subsequently procured his [[Master of Arts]] in 1922 and his [[Ph.D.]] in 1928, both from the [[University of Texas]] at [[Austin]], where he studied under [[Eugene Barker|Eugene C. Barker]]. He was dean of students at Hardin-Simmons from 1926 to 1928, vice president from 1928 to 1943, acting president from 1943 to 1945, and president from 1945 to 1953. Under his presidency the institution expanded in enrollment and size of the physical campus. In 1953, he retired as the Hardin-Simmons emeritus president and returned to the history department, where he continued to teach courses and supervise student theses.<ref name=handbook/>

==Scholarly activities==​

​==Scholarly activities==​

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Richardson’s scholarly works include ''The Comanche Barrier to South Plains Settlement'' (1933), a study of the Comanche Indians; ''The Greater Southwest'' (1934), coauthored with Carl Coke Rister, ''Adventuring with a Purpose'' (1952);  ''The Frontier of Northwest Texas'' (1963); ''Colonel [[Edward M. House]]: The Texas Years'' (1964), a study of [[Woodrow Wilson]]’s political aide from [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], and ''Caddo, Texas: The Biography of a Community'' (1966). His personal reflection is unveiled in ''Famous Are Thy Halls: Hardin-Simmons University As I Have Known It'' (1964).<ref name=handbook/>​

Richardson’s scholarly works include ''The Comanche Barrier to South Plains Settlement'' (1933), a study of the Comanche Indians; ''The Greater Southwest'' (1934), coauthored with Carl Coke Rister, ''Adventuring with a Purpose'' (1952);  ''The Frontier of Northwest Texas'' (1963); ''Colonel [[Edward M. House]]: The Texas Years'' (1964), a study of [[Woodrow Wilson]]’s political aide from [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], and ''Caddo, Texas: The Biography of a Community'' (1966). His personal reflection is unveiled in ''Famous Are Thy Halls: Hardin-Simmons University As I Have Known It'' (1964).<ref name=handbook/>​

 

His history textbook, ''Texas: The Lone Star State'' (1943) went through five editions until it ceased to be the leading textbook in its field during the 1980s.<ref name=handbook/> ''Texas: The Lone Star State,'' now in its tenth edition and co-authored by [[Ernest Wallace]], then a historian at Texas Tech, Adrian Anderson, and Cary D. Wintz,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Texas-Lone-Star-State-10th/dp/0205661688|title=''Texas: The Lone Star State|publisher=amazon.com|accessdate=October 11, 2009}}</ref> emphasizes the 19th century and treats [[Reconstruction]] as a political tragedy or melodrama, the earlier view usually held by southern historians but subsequently abandoned after the rise of the [[civil rights]] movement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lilt.ilstu.edu/gmklass/foi/read2/mcpher.htm|title=Reconstruction Reconsidered|publisher=lilt.ilstu.edu|accessdate=October 10, 2009}}</ref>  Richardson served as an editor of the West Texas Historical Association ''Year Book'' (since named ''West Texas Historical Review'') from its first issue in 1925 until his death.<ref name=handbook/> At the time the association was based at Hardin-Simmons, but it relocated in 1998 to Texas Tech].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swco.ttu.edu/WestTexas/indexes/Cyclone%20Spring%2009.pdf|title=From the Executive Director: Tai D. Kriedler|publisher=Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University|date=Spring 2009accessdate=February 13, 2020}}</ref>​

His history textbook, ''Texas: The Lone Star State'' (1943) went through five editions until it ceased to be the leading textbook in its field during the 1980s.<ref name=handbook/> ''Texas: The Lone Star State,'' now in its tenth edition and co-authored by [[Ernest Wallace]], then a historian at Texas Tech, Adrian Anderson, and Cary D. Wintz,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Texas-Lone-Star-State-10th/dp/0205661688|title=''Texas: The Lone Star State|publisher=amazon.com|accessdate=October 11, 2009}}</ref> emphasizes the 19th century and treats [[Reconstruction]] as a political tragedy or melodrama, the earlier view usually held by southern historians but subsequently abandoned after the rise of the [[civil rights]] movement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lilt.ilstu.edu/gmklass/foi/read2/mcpher.htm|title=Reconstruction Reconsidered|publisher=lilt.ilstu.edu|accessdate=October 10, 2009}}</ref>  Richardson served as an editor of the West Texas Historical Association ''Year Book'' (since named ''West Texas Historical Review'') from its first issue in 1925 until his death.<ref name=handbook/> At the time the association was based at Hardin-Simmons, but it relocated in 1998 to Texas Tech].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.swco.ttu.edu/WestTexas/indexes/Cyclone%20Spring%2009.pdf|title=From the Executive Director: Tai D. Kriedler|publisher=Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University|date=Spring 2009accessdate=February 13, 2020}}</ref>​

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Richardson died in Abilene two weeks prior to what would have been his 97th birthday. He is permanently honored by the naming of both the Richardson Library and the Richardson Research Center of the Southwest on his campus. In addition, the West Texas Historical Association names its annual book award in Richardson's honor.<ref name=sutphen/>[[B W Aston]], Hardin-Simmons history faculty member, headed the research center from 1981 to 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reporternews.com/news/2010/mar/27/bw-aston/?partner=RSS|title=Dr. B W Aston|publisher=''Abilene Reporter News''|date=March 27, 2010|accessdate=April 3, 2010; no longer on-line}}</ref>​

Richardson died in Abilene two weeks prior to what would have been his 97th birthday. He is permanently honored by the naming of both the Richardson Library and the Richardson Research Center of the Southwest on his campus. In addition, the West Texas Historical Association names its annual book award in Richardson's honor.<ref name=sutphen/>[[B W Aston]], Hardin-Simmons history faculty member, headed the research center from 1981 to 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reporternews.com/news/2010/mar/27/bw-aston/?partner=RSS|title=Dr. B W Aston|publisher=''Abilene Reporter News''|date=March 27, 2010|accessdate=April 3, 2010; no longer on-line}}</ref>​

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==References==

==References==

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