Centennial Spotlight: N.A. Richardson
Noble Asa (N.A.) Richardson was the earliest champion of San Bernardino Valley Union
Junior College, now known as San Bernardino Valley College. He believed in the power
of learning, and served as one of the college's founders and first chairman of the
board.
Richardson moved to San Bernardino from Kansas in the early 1880s to become a teacher. This was the start of his 50 years in education, which included stints as a principal and superintendent of schools. He was instrumental in shaping San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College during its early days, and his love of astronomy inspired him to add the department in 1931.
On May 20, 1931, Richardson died suddenly of a massive heart attack, stunning the campus community. Because of his dedication to the college, Richardson’s funeral was held in the gym and classes were canceled, giving students and faculty the chance to pay their respects. He “devoted his life” to education, President J.B. Griffing said, and the successful college was the “result of his ideals and his untiring energy.”
Richardson’s legacy lives on nearly 100 years after his death. The oldest building on campus, the observatory, is named in his honor. Built in 1931, it opened with a 16-inch Newtonian telescope — the largest on any U.S. college campus at the time.
Richardson moved to San Bernardino from Kansas in the early 1880s to become a teacher. This was the start of his 50 years in education, which included stints as a principal and superintendent of schools. He was instrumental in shaping San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College during its early days, and his love of astronomy inspired him to add the department in 1931.
On May 20, 1931, Richardson died suddenly of a massive heart attack, stunning the campus community. Because of his dedication to the college, Richardson’s funeral was held in the gym and classes were canceled, giving students and faculty the chance to pay their respects. He “devoted his life” to education, President J.B. Griffing said, and the successful college was the “result of his ideals and his untiring energy.”
Richardson’s legacy lives on nearly 100 years after his death. The oldest building on campus, the observatory, is named in his honor. Built in 1931, it opened with a 16-inch Newtonian telescope — the largest on any U.S. college campus at the time.
