Charles Wallace Richmond, American ornithologist. Fellow American Ornithologists’ Union; member numerous societies.
Background
He was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin and was the eldest son of Edward Leslie and Josephine Ellen Richmond. His mother died when he was 12. His father who was a railway mail clerk moved to Washington District of Columbia and joined the Government Printing House there.
His father remarried and he had the additional duty of taking care of younger stepbrothers.
Education
Educated Kenosha, Wisconsin, 1874-1880, Washington, 1881-1883. Doctor of Medicine Georgetown (District of Columbia) University, 1897. Student Corcoran Scientific School, 1886-1887.
Career
He is best remembered for a compilation of the Latin names of birds that is called the Richmond Index. During his early life he earned extra income for the family by leaving school and working as a page in the House of Representatives. At the age of 15 he got a position as a messenger in the Geological Survey.
While still at Wisconsin he had collected the eggs of a Kingbird and when he moved to Washington, in 1881.
He visited the Smithsonian Institution museum and seeing the large collection of nests and eggs he decided that he would never produce such a collection himself and decided to hand over his own collections to the museum. This led him to meet Robert Ridgway.
He subsequently met Ridgway often and this early influence was very strong. His work in the House of Representatives let him use the library there which had a good collection of books on birds.
In 1888, Richmond took part in a United States Geological Survey expedition to Montana.
He became an ornithological clerk at the United States Department of Agriculture. After a collecting trip to Nicaragua he joined the staff of the United States National Museum in Washington District of Columbia as a nightwatchman. He was promoted to Aid, followed by Assistant in the birds department.
He became Associate Curator of Birds in 1894.
Richmond then became Associate Curator in 1918. Richmond started a card catalog when he was twenty one.
He continued to maintain the catalog throughout his life. wise he focused on naming authorities for bird names, and was considered the foremost expert on the subject. His card catalog continues to be utilized by ornithologists, today.
The scientific name of the Northern cardinal, Richmondena cardinalis, was named in his honor.
Achievements
Membership
Fellow American Ornithologists’ Union. Member numerous societies.