Virginia Stolpe was born in 1919 in Topaz, Idaho. After graduating from Utah State University in 1941 with a degree in Home Economics Education, Virginia began her teaching career in Cowley, Wyoming, where she met and married Elroy Robertson Lewis. After the death of her husband in 1977, she went on to marry Arlo Richardson in 1986. In 1962, Virginia received a master’s degree in Clothing and Textiles and Interior Design at Oregon State University. She also attended other universities and studied design in New York City and while on sabbatical from Utah State University, she studied at the great fashion houses of Europe. Virginia taught at USU from 1962 until retirement in 1984. While there, she was instrumental in the accreditation of the Interior Design program by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). She often taught extension classes in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Brigham City, and was recognized as a state leader in working with Home Economics Educators, publishing several college textbooks and articles. She helped provide an excellent foundation for many students who pursued successful careers in the fashion industry.