Richardson, George Taylor (1886-1916)

Born on September 14, 1886, George was the younger brother of James Armstrong Richardson (later the Chancellor of Queen's) and Agnes Richardson Etherington (who donated her house to Queen's as an Art Centre).

George Richardson graduated from Queen's with a BSc in 1906 and was a star player in both football and hockey during his time here. He was a fair and honourable player, and was never penalized for a misdemeanor or violation of the rules. Once, at a hockey match in Ottawa, the referee gave him a penalty for a violation he had not made. Richardson said nothing and went to the box. The referee was said to be so embarrassed by his gracious acceptance of his call that he later went to Richardson and apologised, saying that he realised he had called the wrong man, but did not want to admit his error mid-game.

Richardson worked in his family's firm, James Richardson & Sons, upon graduation, and continued to play hockey as well. When WWI began, he went overseas as member of the 14th Princess of Wales Own Regiment. He was promoted to Captain after the Battle of Saint-Julien, when he was the sole survivor of the No. 2 Company.

As a Captain, Richardson was known as a man who would never give an order he would not readily obey himself. He often used his own money to buy extra supplies, such as warm boots, gas masks, and cigarettes for his troops.

He was a casualty of war and died in France on February 10, 1916. Richardson was awarded the Legion of Honour by the French government, as well as the Order of Manitoba.

James Richardson donated the George Taylor Richardson Memorial Stadium as a tribute to his late brother.

On a snowy night in February 1916, Captain George Taylor Richardson stood beyond an Allied trench in Belgium. As he was pulling back a raiding party by the Princess of Wales Own Regiment, a German bullet found its mark, shattering his hip. The athletic captain fell and was rushed off the battlefield. He died the next morning, was buried in nearby Bailleul Cemetery and was posthumously awarded the Legion of Honour by the French government.

Back in his hometown of Kingston, Capt. Richardson’s tragic demise made waves. Before joining his family’s business exporting Canadian commodities, Capt. Richardson had attended Queen’s, where he received a BSc in 1909.

Capt. Richardson had earned himself a reputation on campus. A gifted athlete, George had played left wing on the hockey team in the winter and suited up for football in the fall. He was hockey team captain under Coach “Jock” Harty and was a prolific goal scorer. George competed for the Stanley Cup, played for the Kingston Frontenacs, and in 1950 was inducted into the International Hockey Hall of Fame.

After his death, the Richardson family turned to Capt. Richardson’s alma mater to commemorate him. (His brother James and sister Agnes would over the years devote their talents to Queen’s governance and cultural life; he as chancellor and she as the initial patron of the university art gallery.)

In 1920, the Richardson family chose to honour George’s courage and athleticism by donating $50,000 to the construction of a football stadium. It would be, in the words of the Queen’s Journal, a “memorial to a great man” who had excelled on the sports field as well as on the battlefield. The dedication of the original George Richardson Memorial Stadium took place in in 1921, and the stadium quickly became a focal point of campus life.