RALPH E. RICHARDSON ’51

Ralph E. Richardson, 77, publisher, died at home in New York, July 20, 2005, after a brief illness. He left Wesleyan for two years to serve in the US Army in Korea; returned to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree; was a member of Psi Upsilon. Starting at Time Inc., he went on to co-found Mactier, publishers of engineering magazines. In 1970 he founded Electronic Product News magazine, which he published from Brussels and which is the first and still-successful English language pan-European industrial publication. In 1975 he joined Thomas Publishing Co., New York, as publisher of Industrial Equipment News. In 1986 he founded and published Managing Automation and became Froup Publisher of the Thomas Magazine Division; retired in 2001. He was a member of the Council of Competitiveness in Washington DC and worked tirelessly as a visionary and champion of American industry. He was born Nov. 1, 1927 in Bristol, CT. In 1971 he was inducted into the Conferite des Chevailers du Tastevin at the Clos de Vougeot in Burgundy, and in 2002 became elevated to Commander. He enjoyed years of friendships with Chuck Exley ’51, George Young ’51, Matt Clark ’51, and Bob Malone ’50. He is survived by his wife, Collette (daughter of Edwin W. Laffey ’40), his four children Martha, Sarah, Amy ’86 and Sam, and two grandchildren.