Dr. Charles Richardson

Dr. Charles Richardson (January 8, 1864 – December 26, 1924) was an American Dentist, Fayetteville Daily Democrat owner, Fayetteville, Arkansas Community Leader, the Founder of Chi Omega (the largest Sorority in North America), and a long-time volunteer officer of Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

Early life
Richardson was born in Rich Valley, Virginia, one of eleven children of R. H. and Mary Gunnaway Richardson. Richardson attended Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia. Following his undergraduate education, Richardson attended dental school at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Move to Arkansas
In 1888, after he had completed dental school, Richardson moved to Greenwood, Arkansas to begin his dental practice. That same year, Richardson moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas to take over the dental practice of a retiring dentist. During his early time in Fayetteville, he became close to the members of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees who had a ban on Fraternities and Sororities. After learning that the trustees were going to reverse their ban on fraternities and sororities, Richardson recruited four young men to found a chapter Kappa Sigma.

Chi Omega Fraternity Founding
Chi Omega was founded April 5, 1895 at the University of Arkansas by Dr. Charles Richardson, Ina Mae Boles, Jean Vincenheller, Jobelle Holcombe, and Alice Simonds.

Illnesses and death
Dr. Richardson died of natuarl causes, but suffered from a long illness prior to his death. As was customary in small towns of the era, his illness and death were newsworthy.