Delphine Okie Richardson was a librarian at the University of Pennsylvania from 1921 to 1972. She began her career in the old main library located in the Furness Building, then relocated to Van Pelt in 1962. Mrs. Richardson was head of the reserve department from 1941 to 1949, and interlibrary loan librarian from 1949 to 1972, obtaining materials from around the country--and the world--for Penn's scholars.

Mrs. Richardson's family and friends established this fund for reference materials in her honor and continue their support today, enriching a fund that provides resources in perpetuity for Penn's scholars.