Richardson Hall

Richardson Hall was opened in September 1929, one of three buildings (with Milne and Page Halls) added to the original Western Avenue (Downtown) Campus. The three new buildings were designed by State Architect Sullivan W. Jones and constructed at a total cost of $825,000. The name Richardson Hall was chosen by the students in 1929. In 1956 Richardson Annex, a major addition extending from the back of Richardson Hall to the back of Page Hall, facing Washington Avenue, was opened. The addition was designed by Harold O. Fullerton, architect, with the State Architect Cornelius J. White, and built at a cost of $1,064,000. Richardson Hall is currently the home of the School of Social Welfare, the Center for Social Work Practice, the Intensive English Language Program, and Institute of Gerontology.

Leonard Woods Richardson (1853-1929), was a professor of Latin and Greek at the New York State Normal College/New York State College for Teachers from October 12, 1895 until his retirement in January of 1929. Professor Richardson’s popularity with the students was so great that when the State College For Teachers decided to drop Home Economics from the curriculum and needed to replace the name Richards Hall (chosen by the Executive Committee in 1927 to honor the founder of Home Economics in America), the student body voted to name the building after Professor Richardson in 1929. It is the only campus building whose name was chosen by the students.