- Tex Richards
Biography
Robert "Tex" William Richards, Jr. (
August 9 ,1889 –November 7 ,1918 ) was a football player on theUniversity of Pittsburgh Panthers team from 1907 to 1910. He was the Captain and Fullback of the only undefeated and unscored upon team in the history of the University of Pittsburgh.Richards was the son of Robert William Richards Sr. (of Welsh descent from northeastern Pennsylvania) and Hannah Sarah Richards (school teacher from
Melbourne, Victoria ,Australia ). Robert Sr. travelled in the Pacific Rim in the 1880s selling books along the way. He met a Melbourne school teacher, Hannah Sarah Harrex. They were married in 1888.Robert Jr. was in Melbourne, Australia to Robert Sr. and Hannah. He was first of four children. The other children included: David John, Harry Charles and Ethlyn Ruth. Harry and Ethlyn died as children in Australia. Robert Sr. and Hannah with their two boys, Robert and David, immigrated to U.S. in 1901 and settled in
Wilkinsburg , PennsylvaniaRobert was a good student at
Wilkinsburg High School from which he graduated in 1905. His mother Hannah was Head of Household forAndrew Mellon and his family. Andrew Mellon later became Secretary of the TreasuryUS Secretary of the Treasury . For a time Robert and David were bodyguards for the Mellon family.Robert graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was President of his class and in the Alpha Alpha Fraternity. He was on the Track and Field team and the Football team all four years. He earned letters in both sports. Robert's brother David also played on the 1909 and 1910 teams. Robert returned to Pitt to help with subsequent teams after 1910. He was an active alumnus, participating in dinners and events.
In 1915 Robert married Jennie Elton Wyatt. In 1916 they had their first and only child, Darlie Virginia. Robert worked at the
Standard Steel Car Company inButler, Pennsylvania , as a mechanical engineer. For a time he served in the National Guard. He died from theSpanish flu pandemic in Butler. [ "Robert W. Richards Pneumonia Victim", Eagle, November 8, 1918. ]College Football Statistics
University of Pittsburgh Football Seasons 1908-1910
1908
11 Wins/1 Loss
Points for Pitt 140/Points for Opponents 36
Total Touchdowns: 16
"Tex" Touchdowns: 6
1909
6 Wins/2 Losses/1 Tie
Points for Pitt 94/Points for Opponents 11
Total Touchdowns: 15
"Tex" Touchdowns: 7
1910
9 Wins/0 Losses
Points for Pitt 282/Points for Opponents 0
Total Touchdowns: 42
"Tex" Touchdowns: 13 reported by press; 11 reported by The Owl University of Pittsburgh Yearbook
1908-1910
26 Wins/3 Losses/1 Tie
Points for Pitt 516/Points for Opponents 47
Total Touchdowns: 73
"Tex" Touchdowns: 26 reported by press; 24 reported by The Owl University of Pittsburgh Yearbook
"Tex" Touchdown Percentage: 35.6% based on press coverage; 32.8% based on The Owl University of Pittsburgh Yearbook
References
Notes
ources
Guy, Richard R., "Football Season Closes with Pitt Victory", "The Gazette Times", November 25, 1910.
"The Owl", University of Pittsburgh yearbook, 1912.
"Robert W. Richards Pneumonia Victim", "Eagle", November 8, 1918.
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