The building is named for Caroline Richardson (B. A. 1895, M. A. 1905). Richardson was a professor of English at Newcomb and headed the WWI Newcomb Relief Unit, which served overseas.
Originally built as a dormitory hall, Caroline Richardson was torn down to make room for Doris Hall. The College decided to name the new (in 1958) women’s dining hall after Richardson. In 1972, the building underwent renovations and became known as The Parlour. In 1975, the second floor became the Center for Research on Women, complete with the Nadine Vorhoff Library.
Caroline Richardson houses the School of Liberal Arts, the School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, and the Newcomb Institute Archives.