William J. Richardson

William John Richardson (November 2, 1920 – December 10, 2016) was an American philosopher and psychoanalyst who was a leading scholar of Martin Heidegger. He was a professor of philosophy at Fordham University from 1965 to 1980 and a professor of philosophy at Boston College from 1981 to 2007. He was best known for his book Heidegger: Through Phenomenology to Thought, which was one of the first comprehensive studies of Heidegger's philosophy and featured a preface by Heidegger himself.

Early life and education Richardson was born on November 2, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York City, to Frederick E. Richardson and Mary (née Oliver) Richardson. He had a sister, Margaret Powers. Shortly after graduation, he entered the Jesuit order at a seminary in Poughkeepsie, New York, serving as a novitiate from 1941 to 1943, then a juniorate from 1943 to 1944.

After earning a Ph.L. in philosophy from Woodstock College in 1947, Richardson taught English and philosophy at Le Moyne College for three years. He was ordained to the priesthood on August 15, 1953, in Leuven, Belgium.

In the fall of 1955, Richardson met with Heidegger and was persuaded by him to study Seinsdenken, or "foundational thought," in his works. In 1956, he returned to the University of Leuven and spent three years completing a 1,100-page dissertation on the subject. During a meeting in February 1959, Heidegger approved the doctoral manuscript with only two suggested corrections. Richardson defended his dissertation in the spring of 1960, earned his Ph.D. in philosophy, and, in 1962, qualified for agrégation.

Career Richardson had pronounced his final vows on August 15, 1958. By the time he joined Boston College, he was one of the leading American authorities on Heidegger's thought.