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Donald W. Richardson, AE 51: Aerospace Pioneer

By: Alumni Publications | Categories: In Memoriam

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Donald W. Richardson, of West Palm Beach, Fla., died Oct. 24, 2019. Born March 17, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York, Richardson enjoyed an exciting and exemplary life. He fell in love with flying at an early age thanks to his father, Herbert, who piloted biplanes for the U.S. Army in World War I. At the age of 18, Richardson enlisted to serve in World War II as an Army Sergeant in charge of a mortar crew in Italy. He later continued his service as a Navy Reserve Captain.

Richardson graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in aeronautical engineering and later earned a master’s degree and a doctorate, all while working and raising a family. He went on to become a legend in the aeronautical and aerospace industry as one of the fathers of the country’s air traffic control system. He also served as president of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and is one the few Americans to be named an Honorary Fellow of England’s Royal Aeronautical Society.

Richardson married his wife, Jane, in 1948, and the couple traveled the world together for 63 years until Jane died in 2011. He created a scholarship in her name, the Jane J. Richardson Scholarship Endowment for the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering, to benefit women studying aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech.

Richardson is survived by his second wife Kathleen Watkins-Richardson; his sons Scott (Leslie) and Kevin (Debbie) Richardson; and five grandchildren.

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