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Louisiana State University

Miles Richardson Obituary

A loving husband and father, he died Monday, Nov. 14, 2011. He was 79, a resident of Baton Rouge and native of Palestine, Texas. Miles was an anthropology professor for more than 40 years at LSU, where he held the Doris Z. Stone Professorship. He was a veteran of the Air Force, serving on Okinawa during the Korean War. He authored several books and numerous scholarly articles, as well as numerous poems and short stories. He maintained a host of professional memberships and associations, and was past president of the Southern Anthropological Society. Miles is survived by his wife of 51 years, Valerie Richardson, of Baton Rouge; sons, Penn Richardson, of Baton Rouge, and Stanley Richardson, of Plaquemine; and a sister, Frances Bender, of Temple, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mark C. and Florence A. Richardson; and a daughter, Victoria Richardson. A memorial service will be held at University Presbyterian Church, 3240 Dalrymple Dr., at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, with a reception following. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to Doctors Without Borders USA, PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030 or at www.doctorswithoutborders.org.

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Published by The Advocate from Nov. 17 to Nov. 18, 2011.

Memories and Condolences
for Miles Richardson

Sponsored by A Fellow Hank Williams Fan.

18 Entries

Sheri Ironwood

November 11, 2024

Fifteen years since he left this material world. So much has changed. So much has not changed. Sure would love to have a talk and libations with Miles today.

Michael Desmond

October 10, 2022

wandering into Miles' office late one afternoon in 1983 to ask a question, he changed my life by introducing me to the study of how architecture could be meaningful. Forever grateful.

Sheri Ironwood

November 11, 2019

Miles still lives in our hearts.

Diane Scott

June 11, 2014

I am surprised I did not sign my name to the comments I made below about the turtle tale, sorry they probably sound a little befuddled to those who don't know what they refer to, also I was distraught at the time. I'd love to flesh it out but I lost all the Anthropology books I owned in New Orleans, not in Katrina, or the flood, but when I became homeless. I was just thinking about Miles today, got an email from someone who knew him a little. Miles had a notion about evolution that we evolved in place, but then having attained culture, culture advanced our evolution exponentially to the point place no longer was the main or only player in our evolution, but place and culture, and that also given that we could now via culture change place. That thought came to me because of the current situation over Crimea, not sense the 1980's have we feared nuclear war more. The reason it came to mind is I've always thought if Culture can advance evolution, we can change culture and advance evolution, since culture is learned it can be unlearned and new things learned in its place. I know it sounds utopian, but when think that if World War III started we could all be dead, you think maybe education isn't enough. You think maybe our species needs to evolve some. Then if you think your species might destroy itself you might think it needs to evolve or something. You thing you, you may as well grasp at any ideas you have at stopping it, even if it sounds like grasping at straws. Does anyone know if anything was ever published from that work he was doing concerning evolution. Thanks, Diane Scott.

May 23, 2013

I played a song I wrote for a class of Dr. Richardson, and to my amazement he was impressed enough to say he thought Hank would be proud, because it had country sound to it. It had anthropological implications too. We lost Miles one month after I lost my father. Today is World Turtle Day and Miles was fond of teaching us about how Clifford Geertz used the Hindu legend of how turtles held up the world. “There is an Indian story -- at least I heard it as an Indian story -- about an Englishman who, having been told that the world rested on a platform which rested on the back of an elephant which rested in turn on the back of a turtle, asked (perhaps he was an ethnographer; it is the way they behave), what did the turtle rest on? Another turtle. And that turtle? 'Ah, Sahib, after that it is turtles all the way down”
? Clifford Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures .

Geertz and Carl Sagan both used the turtle analogy to explain how turtles do indeed hold up the world, without the turtle the world would collapse, for Sagan it was a matter of physics, for Geertz it was the web of meaning we weave around us that made up the turtle's back. Without the turtle we would all be truly lost. Leave it to people like Miles to find the place where the last turtle stands, and tell us what holds up the world. We all do. I am donating to conserveturtles.org in fond memory of Miles.

Bob Dunton

May 6, 2012

Miles once suggested that we ought to form a band, hit the road, and tour 'til we found Hank Williams. Scholar, mentor, myth-maker, prankster. He will be sorely missed by generations of grateful students.

Emanuela Guano

December 16, 2011

Miles was the kindest, wisest, and most insightful mentor. I will forever treasure his memory.

Jeanne Meeker

November 24, 2011

Without a doubt we are all much richer for having had the priviledge of knowing Miles Richardson. He was always kind, patient and willing to listen to a new and befuddled grad student. I will forever treasure our conversations about East Texas and life in general.

Dennis Booker

November 19, 2011

Miles was my faculty advisor and later Master's committee chairman for my BA in 1971 and MA in 1973. He and Valerie remain dear to our hearts. I spoke to Miles twice over the last several weeks and despite his illness he was as always his charming, enthusiastic self.
Dennis & Norma Booker

November 19, 2011

While reading an article on two twin brothers, who are paleoartists in the Netherlands, I thought of Miles. I had one class with him in 1974 and have thought of him at least weekly since. He made the most profound impression on his students. He honored many of us by an open invitation to his 50th birthday party where drinks, music and stories abounded. I'm sure the Secret of Man has been finally revealed to Miles;
although, he possessed it all along... an unbounded passion and joy for life and the people he met in it. God bless!

Sheri Ironwood

November 18, 2011

My sincere condolences to the family of Miles Richardson. He was my major professor and mentor, he was a brilliant anthropologist and a wonderful human being. His teachings, writings and advisement inform my own work and teaching every day. I am sad to hear that Miles is gone from this world, but I know without doubt that he lives on. Miles lives in our hearts and in the intellectual legacy passed on to innumerable students and collegues. I am deeply grateful to have known you, Miles.

Glen Fredlund

November 18, 2011

Miles was an inspiration to me. He never let us forget the humanity of those we studied in order to learn more about ourselves. He treated each student with respect and encouragement. I hope I have done half as well as he. Rest in peace Miles. Glen Fredlund, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

carol prorok

November 17, 2011

with tears of sadness for the loss of such a wonderful human being in this world and tears of joyful memories of Miles being Miles making lsu an incredibly special place, i sit stunned.... you were and always will be the embodiment of love and life....

brooke hopkins dubansky

November 17, 2011

i met miles 4 years ago when i took his human evolution course--during which i had the uniquely Miles-experience of holding his hand and skipping down the sidewalk in front of the geology building--i can't remember why, but he had all of us skipping down the sidewalk during class that day. i miss you miles!

Holly Clement-Nelson

November 17, 2011

Dr. Richardson's Anthropology classes are among my fondest memories at LSU. He connected with his students and collegues in a truely sincere manner and inspired us to seek truth. He leaves an astounding legacy of students who will always seek to "subvert the dominant paradigm" and hum along with Slim Harpo songs. Rest in Peace, Don Miles.

martha henderson

November 17, 2011

i will always remember dr. richardson standing in the old geo building at lsu talking mr knudsen and dr. west -the best trinity in the world. with deepest respect,
martha henderson, phd 1995

Joan Hunt

November 17, 2011

Dr. Richardson taught Anthropology to me in the 1970's and, more recently, I had the pleasure of having a graduate class with him.
Miles was truly a gentleman and a scholar. He will certainly be missed.

R. Hampton Peele

November 17, 2011

Miles, my Buddy, I love you!!!

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