Los
Angeles County
Biographies
MRS. RODERICK
WARE RICHARDSON
Southern California is known over
the whole country as the home of women of distinction, who have achieved high
honors in public life, in the arts, in the political arena, and in social
affairs. In the front rank of these fine
women is Mrs. Roderick Ware Richardson of Los Angeles, also known to her
friends as Sallie D. Richardson, whose activities have covered a wide range and
whose inspired energy and brilliant intellect have constituted a forceful
influence in whatever undertaking she was a participant. Mrs. Richardson, among other things, is the
only woman who ever served as chairman of a country republican committee in
California. During her term of office in
this capacity she eliminated all indebtedness of the committee for the first
time in many years. She has political
wisdom, an intuitive judgment in public matters, and has demonstrated these
facts on many occasions. Mrs. Richardson
was the founder and the first president of the Woman’s Republican League, which
subsequently became the foundation of the Woman’s Republican Study Club of Los
Angeles. She was a member of the
industrial commission under Mayor Charles Sebastian. Repeatedly she was urged by her friends and
adherents to seek a place on the city council, but she always declined, even
though victory seemed within easy reach.
She held an executive position under Judge Rex Goodcell in the internal
revenue collector’s office and also served as an executive in the local Federal
prohibition offices. She was first vice
president of the Woman’s City Club; she was president of the Women’s Republican
Group; member of the Big Sister’s League; past chairman of the revision
committee of the Woman’s City Club and was instrumental in changing the by-laws
so that a salute to the flag should be included in regular place on every club program. Mrs. Richardson was chairman of the first
Women’s Court in Los Angeles, and while serving as secretary of the Republican
Central Committee she resigned in order that she might manage the campaign of
Sen. Hiram Johnson in California. She
also was an ardent worker for Sen. Samuel M. Shortridge before the latter’s
fist election to the senate. She is a
member, honorary life, of the Republican Study Club.
Before she adopted California as her home, Mrs. Richardson lived in New York city, where
she was prominent in social, civic, club, and musical affairs. Her husband, now deceased, was a well-known
and successful business man of that city.
By her first marriage, Mrs. Richardson is the mother of a daughter,
Marion Lewis, who now resides in New York city.
Mrs. Richardson managed one of the most significant campaigns in the
history of the Federated Clubs while in the eastern city. This was that of the New York City Federated
Cubs in 1909. Her candidate won, and she
became known as the “Petticoated Tiger” and “Skirted Charley Murphy,” the
latter having been a prominent Tammany chieftain of the day.
After coming to California to live,
and marrying the second time, Mrs. Richardson entered most energetically into
local politics, and her influence was felt from the beginning. She has retired to a great extent from active
politics, but her advice and judicious counsel is sought avidly by those who are
following in her footsteps. She is now
second vice president of the California Women of the Golden West organization
and formerly made a brilliant record as treasurer of this society. Southern California is proud to have such a
woman as a resident, and Mrs. Richardson is equally proud to live in this
garden-spot of the world.
Transcribed by
Mary Ellen Frazier.
Source:
California of the South Vol. V, by John Steven McGroarty,
Pages 805-806, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2013 Mary Ellen Frazier.
GOLDEN
NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPHIES