Richards, W. Franklin (William Franklin), 1907-1976

William Franklin Richards (1907-1972) was the director of the water and parks departments of Ogden.

William Franklin Richards was born 4 April 1907 to Charles Ernest Richards and Eliza Permila West in Salt Lake City, Utah. Before Richards was a year old his family moved to Ogden where he would live most of his life. He graduated from high school in Ogden and then attended the University of Southern California where he received his bachelor’s in architecture in 1929. He also took business administration classes at Weber College.

During the depression, Richards worked for the US Department of Interior in the Bureau of Reclamation. He quit the bureau and became the head at Ogden’s water department in 1948. He would later become the director of both the water and parks departments for the city.

Richards married Eva Shreeve on 26 October 1934 and together they had four children: Lynnette, Stephen, Jurai, and David. Richards died July 1976.

From the guide to the W. Franklin Richards papers, circa 1918-1972, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)