BIO: Richard W. WILLIAMSON, Huntingdon County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Dave Wilson Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************************** __________________________________________________________ McElroy, James Thomas Jr., McElroy's Family Memories, Huntingdon, PA: (Author), 1930, page 251. __________________________________________________________ HON. RICHARD W. WILLIAMSON Huntingdon, Pa. State Senator: His parentage in brief is as follows: Forefather was Rev. McKnight Williamson, of Scotch descent; he was married to Jane Woods, of Irish descent, a sister of the late Rev. James S. Woods, D.D., pastor of the Presbyterian church at Lewistown, Pa. Rev. McKnight Williamson had four brothers, who were Presbyterian ministers. He founded Tuscarora Academy over ninety-two years ago. The father of Senator Williamson was Hon. William McKnight Williamson, born at Academia, Juniata Co., Pa., June 29, 1840. He was President Judge of the Twentieth Judicial District of Pennsylvania. He was a pupil at Milnwood Academy, Shade Gap, Pa., excelling in the classics and in mathematics; was principal at Milnwood Academy. On January 17, 1865, he was admitted to the Bar. Firm name, Woods and Williamson. In 1877 he was appointed by Governor Hartranft to be Prothonotary of Huntingdon County, Pa.; was elected to the same office in 1881. he served a term in the State Senate, in 1888. He was married to Rachel Catherine Sipes, who died March 1, 1914, aged seventy-seven years. William McKnight Williamson died in 1901 at he age of sixty years. Senator Richard W. Williamson was born at Huntingdon, Pa., in the Second Ward, December 13, 1869. Preliminary schooling, Second Ward, grade schools. In 1888 attended Juniata College, and in 1893 graduated from Penna. State College, Fraternity (Beta Theta Po). He is an attorney-at-law; was a partner with his father. Was a volunteer in the Spanish-American War; started as private and finished as Corporal. A Republican. A Rotarian, and a Presbyterian. Was District Attorney of Huntingdon County for two terms. He was elected to the State Senate in 1926, representing Blair and Huntingdon counties with a population of 162,182. Has one brother, William W., a stock broker, Colorado Springs, Colorado. One sister, Frances W. Laughlin, Philadelphia, Pa.