Harrow County School for Boys - Mr. William Alfred Richardson, Mathematics Master 1911-14.
Mr. Richardson was educated at Yarm Grammar School, Yorkshire and later entered East London College as a full time student of engineering. He also attended part-time courses at Birbeck College and at the Chelsea and London Polytechnics. From London University he gained a B.Sc. in engineering, a M.Sc. and B.Sc. in science and a B.A. in Philosophy. His first appointment in education was in 1911 as Mathematics master at Harrow County School, a position he held for three years before becoming lecturer in Civil engineering at University College, Nottingham.
His book "Surveying for Schools and Scouts" was published in 1914 and ran to eight editions by 1960. The frontispiece shows a survey of The County School, Harrow.
In 1929, Richardson became Principal at Derby Technical College. Dr. Richardson lectured on a wide variety of cultural, educational, and scientific topics and was the author of a number of books, including 'Citizen's Derby', a history of the town that was published in 1948. Moreover, as a geologist of first-rate importance, a photographer and an authority on microscopy, Dr. Richardson was described at the time as one of Derbyshire's foremost citizens and a scholar with an international reputation. As a reputable civil engineer, Richardson was also approached to work on projects to develop several new districts in London.
Dr. Richardson became President of the Derby and Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce. He was awarded the O.B.E. in the birthday honours list of King George V in 1935. Mr. Richardson was also President of the Newark Chamber. He was a member of many professional societies, including the Geological Society, the Mineralogical Society, and the Aristotelian Society.