Richard King Wakeham was born in Columbia, Virginia, in the Diocese of Richmond, on May 1, 1848. He was educated at Rock Hill College and at St. Charles College, which he entered on November 3, 1873. He graduated in 1876. In that year he entered St. Mary’s Seminary for Philosophy. He completed his seminary training in Issy, France. He was ordained as a Sulpician by the Co-adjutor-Archbishop (later Cardinal) Richard of Paris on December 18, 1880. On his return to the United States he was a member of the faculty of St. Charles College from 1882 to 1892; then he went to St. John’s Seminary in Boston, St. Patrick’s Seminary in San Francisco, and finally to St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie in the Archdiocese of New York. He was at Dunwoodie in 1896-1897 and later from 1899 to 1913.
When, in 1905, a number of Sulpicians withdrew from the Society, Father Wakeham was among them. He was incardinated into the Archdiocese of New York and remained at Dunwoodie, where he became Vice-rector. In 1913 ill health forced his retirement. He died on December 28, 1914.
Adapted from Scanlan: St. Joesph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, 1896-1921; hereafter: Scanlan; from St. Charles College: Student List, 1848-1898; and from Boisard.