Violet Richardson Ward

Violet Richardson Ward (August 27, 1888 – August 1979), B. A., M. A., was the founding president of Soroptimist International and a pioneer in American physical education for schoolchildren.

Early life Violet Richardson was born in New Jersey on August 27, 1888, the daughter of John Mead Richardson and Lucy Shipgood, who emigrated to the United States from England in 1885.

She received her early education at home, and then in a number of schools as her family relocated frequently. She received a scholarship to attend the Pratt and Carnegie Institutes of Art. In 1907 the family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. She finished high school education at the San Francisco Girls High School. After graduation she enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley as an art major, but soon moved to health and physical education. She received a bachelor of science degree there in "physical culture" in 1912 and a master's degree in education in 1917.

She died in August 1979 at her son's home in Danville, California.

Three streets in Kensington, California are named for her family of origin, who owned land and built houses there: Richardson Road, Marchant Court and Marchant Gardens (Violet's sister Charlotte married a man named Marchant.)