Richardson, George A., 1886-1976

George Atwell Richardson was born in Milwaukee, Wisc., on May 30, 1886. He graduated in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1912 and the following year he entered the sales department of Midvale Steel in Philadelphia. Throughout his career, he was primarily involved in technical publicity and sales.

Midvale Steel was absorbed by the Midvale Steel & Ordnance Company in 1915, and Richardson became advertising manager. He also became involved in the plants of another absorbed company, the Cambria Steel Company of Johnstown. Midvale Steel & Ordnance was sold to the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1923, and Richardson was made manager of the technical publicity department. Like many of Bethlehem's junior executives, he was furloughed during the Depression in 1933.

After 1933, Richardson acted as an independent consultant developing and promoting metallurgical inventions. From 1938 until his retirement he was sales manager for METLAB (Metallurgical Laboratories, Inc.) in Philadelphia. He taught metallurgy at Temple University between 1939 and 1949.

Richardson was the author of numerous technical articles and manuals. He was also an early amateur photographer. He was able to develop his talent to professional levels doing documentary photography to illustrate his lectures and publications on the steel industry. He was also interested in the history of the steel industry and of the Lehigh Valley, where he settled. He died in Bethlehem, Pa., in 1976.

From the description of Papers, 1914-1959. (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122579349