William Richardson FRSE (1 October 1743 – 3 November 1814) was a Scottish classicist and literary scholar.

William attended the University of Glasgow in 1757 where he focused on his talent for learning languages.

He later had them published, in 1784, under the title Anecdotes of the Russian Empire; in a series of letters, written, a few years ago, from St. Petersburg.

After returning to Scotland in 1772, Richardson was appointed professor of humanities at the University of Glasgow in 1773.

With the ability to attract many great scholars, and also being a very popular lecturer, Glasgow became a prestigious institution.