Background
Richardson, William Adams was born on November 2, 1821 in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Daniel and Mary (Adams) Richardson.
jurist secretary of the treasury
Richardson, William Adams was born on November 2, 1821 in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Daniel and Mary (Adams) Richardson.
Graduated from Harvard, 1843, Bachelor of Laws, 1846, honorary Doctor of Laws. Honorary Doctor of Laws, Columbian University, Washington, District of Columbia, Dartmouth College, Georgetown College, Washington.
Bar, 1846; appointed (with Joel Parker) to consolidate and rearrange statute law of Massachusetts, 1855. Prepared Richardson’s supplements to congressional legislation, 1874-1895. Judge probate for Middlesex County (Massachusetts), 1856-1858, held combined office of judge of probate and insolvency, 1858-1872.
President Lowell (Massachusetts) Common Council, 1860.
Became assistant secretary of the United States Treasury, 1869, managed. Treasury’s funding operations, London, England., 1871-1872, secretary of treasury, 1873-1874, arranged for receipt of $15,500,000 Geneva Award through simultaneous retirement of the United States bonds held in Europe (so that no gold movement was entailed).
Appointed to the United States Court of Claims, 1874, chief justice, January 1885. Taught at Georgetown Law School, 1879-1894.
Member board overseers Harvard, 1863-1875.
Author: Banking Laws of Massachusetts, 1855. Practical Information Concerning the Public Debt of the United States, 3d edit, 1873. History, Jurisdiction and Practice of the Court of Claims, 1882.
Edited supplement to revised statutes of the United States, 1881.
Member board overseers Harvard, 1863-1875.
Married Anna Marston, October 29, 1849, 1 child.