MoWest honors longtime faculty member with new collaboration space

Oct. 8, 2025-Missouri Western State University will celebrate the opening of the Dr. George S. Richmond Student Collaboration Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9 in Potter Hall room 104.

The Dr. Thompson E. Potter Fine Arts Center (Potter Hall) opened in 1971 and is the home of MoWest's School of Fine Arts. The building has undergone more than $2 million in renovation to add collaboration space, a multipurpose classroom and new spaces for digital animation, graphic design and the Griffon Production House.

The new collaboration center honors a longtime faculty member and administrator. Originally from Illinois, Dr. Richmond moved to St. Joseph in 1969 to begin teaching at MoWest, then Missouri Western College, where he served as the chairman of the elementary and special education division and director of evening classes and later took over an expanded area with the title of director of continuing education. In 1982, Dr. Richmond became the college's vice president for development and planning overseeing the offices of development, public relations, alumni affairs, sports information and publications.

He retired from Missouri Western State University in 1984 and continued to serve the St. Joseph community as chairman of the St. Joseph Bi-Centennial Commission, president of the Allied Arts Council and St. Joseph Historical Society and Director of both MWSU Foundation and Alumni Association. In 2007, Dr. Richmond was awarded the first Herb '35 and Peggy Iffert Award from the MWSU Alumni Association for his service to the University, with his church and with countless community organizations.

The Dr. George S. Richmond Student Collaboration Center was made possible by a donation from Tom and Judy Richmond, George's son and daughter-in-law.

Missouri Western State University is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. MoWest is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit missouriwestern.edu.