Richard Norton (February 9, 1872 – August 2, 1918) was an American fine art historian and archaeologist, specializing in classical antiquity, who was head of the American School of Classical Studies in Rome, and a director for the Boston Museum of Fine Art, and the Archaeological Institute of America before World War I.

For his efforts he was awarded the Croix de Guerre (June 1915) and the Grand-Croix of the Legion of Honour (April 1917) by the French government.

[10] He returned to America in 1896 to get married and accept a position at Bryn Mawr College, where he was the first professor of Art and Archaeology.

Norton had attempted to visit and survey Cyrenaica in 1903-1904, but encountered resistance both from officials of the Ottoman Empire and local inhabitants.

He visited Egypt in 1907, exploring the region around Assouan, and securing[fn 1] three mummies which he sent to his brother Dr. Rupert Norton at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Using a steam-powered yacht[fn 2] belonging to Allison V. Armour, he led the first archaeological survey of the site of Cyrene in 1909,[18] followed by excavations during 1910-1911.

On one of these Cyrene digs in March 1911, local tribesmen killed his colleague Dr. Herbert Fletcher De Cou.

With the approval of the London War Office, the unit went to France in October 1914 with the British Red Cross, where in the first week they moved over 500 wounded.

[22] Friends of Norton wrote letters to US newspapers urging readers to donate money,[22] as did the author Henry James.

[6] That month, the French government awarded Norton the Croix de Guerre, citing "marvelous coolness and courage" in transporting wounded while under fire.

[32] His body was temporarily interred in Paris then in February 1919 was brought back to America with returning doughboys on board the USS Henderson.