Crew Biography For Richardson, Arthur

Full Name:	Arthur Richardson
Current Rank	Civilian Specialist
Position(s) held	Chief Science officer Second Officer
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Birthdate	80
Height	6'4
Weight	180 lbs
Appearance	Arthur is an elderly man who has, as many would say, “aged gracefully.” His snow-white hair and beard accent his facial features, including his brown eyes. Despite his age, Arthur appears in perfect physical condition which is maintained by his physical activity and healthful habits.
Personality	No one would have suspected that this brash young man would have ever made it this far in life to become a respected instructor at Starfleet Academy. What started out as youthful energy and ignorance has morphed into a healthy experience and wisdom. Years of near misses and close calls has tempered Arthur’s early spirit into a strong resilience that, ironically, is not as pessimistic as one would expect. Since arriving at the Academy, he has made it his goal to ensure that every cadet that passes through his door finds the help that they need and feels that they can talk to him whenever they want. At the same time, he hopes that they will take something away that will help to prepare them for the realities of Starfleet and the “real world”.
Family	Cmdr. Arthur Richardson (b. 2305) + Elizabeth (Eckers) Richardson (2307-2378) -- married 2330 * Capt. Jacob Richardson (b. 2332) * Michael Anvers (b. 2335) + Jennifer (Richardson) Anvers (b. 2334) -- married 2356 o Laura Anvers (b. 2359) o Lt. JG Lucas Anvers (b. 2359) + Rebecca (Ellison) Anvers (b. 2359) -- married 2384 + Nicholas Anvers (b. 2384) o Ens. Oliver Anvers (b. 2364) o Alice Anvers (b. 2367) * Lt. Jason Richardson (b. 2338) + Ens. Mary (Newnan) Richardson (b. 2338) -- married 2364 o Cadet Arthur “Art” Richardson II (b. 2365) o Kyle Richardson (b. 2369)
Background	Born on Earth in Cambridge, England in the year 2305, Arthur was the son of two Cambridge professors. As such, his early childhood was entirely focused on education with the opportunities to learn constantly open to him. Arthur didn’t mind the extra focus, as he found much of the information to be interesting. While his schoolmates were learning multiplication, his mother was teaching him algebra and pre-calculus. By the time he reached the 10th grade, he was a straight-A student with the chance to attend any college he wanted, on Earth or elsewhere in the Federation. All the teachers were amazed at his academics, particularly in light of his mischievous hobbies. Arthur was often reprimanded for his various practical jokes. When he would miss class, the teachers could not adequately argue against the fact that he was simply bored. His father suggested that he try out for a sport, maybe football. Arthur found the science behind the game to be interesting, but he didn’t like the attitude of many of his teammates. One night, before a big game, he put itching powder in the team’s cleats, making for one interesting event at the game. In order to be even more convincing, he had not neglected his own cleats, though the coach had a pretty good idea who it was. After being removed from football, Arthur bounced from sport to sport until graduation. His parents wanted him to attend college, earn a doctorate, and become a professor. Arthur had different plans for himself. He wanted to see the galaxy, he wanted adventure. So, he signed up for Starfleet and left for the Academy with his friends. At the Academy, little changed. Arthur was still the same student academically, and he was still the same prankster. He finally found a sport that he liked, only to be beat out for the first time in his life. When he lost the Starfleet Academy Marathon to Cadet Jean-Luc Picard, Arthur didn’t know what to do. He had never experienced defeat before. Soon, the competition between Picard and Richardson spread to Academics, though no one but Arthur knew of it. Secretly, Arthur hated having been shown up by a freshman and then having to defend his reputation as a student too. When he graduated, Arthur received immediate assignment to the USS Regula as a member of the vessel’s science division. Around that time, Starfleet was continuing an ongoing interest in nebula and stellar phenomena. The Regula had been assigned on a three year assignment bordering the edges of the Federation investigating and cataloguing various stellar phenomena. It was during his tour aboard the Regula that he met his future wife, Elizabeth Eckers. She was a cultural historian and a civilian aboard the Regula at the time. The two dated for six months before becoming engaged. They were married by the ship’s commanding officer in 2330. Arthur’s first brush with death came when he was part of an away team visiting the sole planet orbiting a dying star. During the mission, the team was cut off from the Regula by a Klingon attack. At the same time, the Klingons dispatched a hunting party to search out the away team. In a clash between the two teams, Arthur found himself faced by a daunting Klingon warrior. Reduced to physical combat, Arthur wrestled the Klingon for his weapon. In the process, he suffered a knife wound to his left leg. Arthur managed to disarm the Klingon and was about to deal a death-blow when the Regula restored contact. The attack had been the result of a misunderstanding, the Klingon commander having mistakenly believed the Regula to be dealing with an unknown party on the surface that had been sanctioned by the Klingon Empire. Arthur’s actions on the mission attracted the attention of the ship’s chief of security, who offered him a position in the security department. Instead, he accepted a transfer to the USS Stargazer to continue in the science department. Serving as the ship’s stellar cartographer and cultural historian, Arthur was dismayed to learn of the appointment of his Academy rival, Jean-Luc Picard as flight control officer. Though he always portrayed a sense of professional courteousy, he still hadn’t gotten over his aversion to the young officer. Arthur and Elizabeth had their first child, Jacob Richardson, in 2332. Though they debated the prospect of raising their family aboard a starship, they agreed that they would not break-up the family. It was decided that Arthur would continue to serve in Starfleet and that his family would come with him to wherever he went. When Lieutenant Commander Picard assumed command of the Stargazer in 2333, Arthur requested an immediate transfer to another vessel. His request was granted and he was offered a promotion to lieutenant JG along with the posting of assistant chief science officer aboard the USS Constellation. In 2334, Elizabeth gave birth to their second child, Jennifer Richardson. They decided that they would still be able to continue to live aboard ship with Elizabeth replacing some of her civilian tasks with family life. The Richardson’s saw the addition of another member to the family in 2338 in the form of Jason Richardson. During his time aboard the Constellation, Arthur witnessed first contact with three species as well as the chance to observe a type-8 nebula formation. Again, his abilities in combat attracted the attention of the ship’s chief of security. When the posting of assistant chief opened up, it was offered to Arthur. This time, he agreed to it and was granted a field-promotion to lieutenant. In 2344, the Constellation was one of six vessels that responded to the distress-call of the USS Enterprise-C. By the time they arrived at Narendra III, the Enterprise had been destroyed with all hands and the Romulans were long gone. However, the Klingons expressed their appreciation at the sacrifice of the Enterprise and her crew. During the relief, Lt. Richardson was put in charge of assisting in reestablishing the Klingon’s defense network. By 2356, Arthur found himself a Lieutenant Commander and Chief Security/Tactical Officer aboard the USS Delphi. During negotiations with the Talarians, Arthur made the immediate decision to take a shot meant for his commanding officer. He was immediately beamed up to the ship with the rest of the away team and was stabilized. It was this closest brush with death and how it affected his family that finally brought some sense into his mind. Two years later, Arthur was chosen to replace the Delphi’s retiring XO. The ship’s captain felt that he was the best man for the job, and Arthur accepted. When it was announced that the new, Galaxy-class USS Enterprise-D was to be launched, Arthur put in a request for assignment. To serve on the flagship of the fleet would have been an honor. His request, however, was denied. The Enterprise was launched under the command of now Captain Jean-Luc Picard. For the first time, though, Arthur had begun to realize how petty his rivalry with Picard had been. Taking a temporary leave in 2364, the Richardson family returned to Earth to settle down in England. They moved in with Arthur’s ailing parents to care for them. During this time, Arthur decided to attend Cambridge, as was his parent’s wish. He graduated in 2372 with a doctorate in History and Social Science. Sadly, neither of his parents would live to see that day. After earning his doctorate degree, Arthur could see the turbulent rumblings on the horizon for the Federation. He immediately returned to Starfleet, being assigned to the USS Jackson as first officer, accepting a promotion to Commander. When the Dominion War did break out, Arthur saw action on the frontlines in the form of skirmishes with Dominion and Cardassian forces. The Jackson participated in Operation Return, the Second Battle of Chin’toka, and the Battle for Cardassia. Following the signing of the peace accords, Arthur sought a quieter existence. In 2375, he accepted a post at Starfleet Academy as an instructor of history, culture and societies, and tactical planning. He and Elizabeth chose to remain at his family’s estate in Cambridge until 2377, when Elizabeth suffered a severe stroke. Leaving the estate in the care of Jason, his wife Mary, and their two sons, Arthur moved to San Fransisco to be closer to work and Starfleet Medical, where Elizabeth spent the last six months of her life. The death of Elizabeth in early 2378 was a hard time for Arthur. For the first time in his life, his own mortality consumed his thoughts. With the help of his extended family, he managed to pull through and return to his duties at Starfleet Academy. He clearly remembers watching the return of the USS Voyager from his apartment window as the lost ship landed on the Presidio. Commander Arthur Richardson has continued his instruction duties at Starfleet Academy ever since, and will likely continue to do so into the future, though he hasn’t ruled out the idea of returning to active duty. Still, he finds that even he may soon find the need to retire eventually.
Service Record	* 2323 – Arthur Richardson enters Starfleet Academy * 2327 – graduated with top honors, assigned as Science Officer, USS Regula (Ensign) * 2330 – transferred to USS Stargazer as Stellar Cartographer and Cultural Historian (Ensign) * 2333 – transferred to USS Constellation as Asst. Chief Science Officer (Lieutenant JG) * 2340 – promoted to Asst. Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Constellation (Lieutenant) * 2356 – transferred to USS Delphi as Chief Security/Tactical Officer (Lieutenant Commander) * 2360 – promoted to Executive Officer, USS Delphi (Lieutenant Commander) * 2364-2373 – Personal Leave * 2373 – returns to Starfleet, assigned Executive Officer, USS Jackson (Commander) * 2375 – takes position as instructor, Starfleet Academy (Commander)
Member Since	5 February 2009