A scientist and an actor, Richard died Oct. 7, 2022.
Born April 16, 1929, in West New York, N.J., Richard earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees (1950 and 1951) from Fordham, and a Ph.D. in biology from Princeton in 1955.
After serving as a flight physiologist in the Navy, Richard taught at Columbia before joining the faculty of Hunter College. He chaired Hunter’s department of biology and became dean of sciences and mathematics. Richard established Hunter’s Center for the Study of Gene Structure and Function. In 2001, Hunter awarded him an honorary degree in recognition of his developing minority science programs and recruiting minority scientists.
Richard’s free time was consumed by his love for the stage. He studied and taught acting at the HB Studio in New York. Richard appeared in films, television, and theater productions, and belonged to Actors’ Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild. Keenly aware of the challenges facing theater artists, he served as vice president of the HB Playwrights Foundation. He spent his final months pursuing a writing course at the 92nd Street Y.
Predeceased by his long-term partner Grace Konrad, Richard is survived by two brothers, nephews, and a niece, and their children.
Graduate alumni memorials are prepared by the APGA.