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The dedication ceremony honored the vision of the late , brought to life in the new building that is located on the east side of Alumni Circle and connected to the J.C. Penney Building.

Richter, a 1968 accounting graduate of the and devoted alum who served as president of the , made a lead gift toward the creation of the center shortly before his death in 2022. He hoped it would be a place that could connect the university鈥檚 past with its future, welcoming prospective students to campus while also providing a dedicated space for alumni to return and get involved at their alma mater.

Members of Richter鈥檚 family, including daughter Laura, son Dan and wife Maureen, joined Chancellor Emerita , Interim Chancellor , Missouri State Sen. , University of Missouri Curator , UMSL Alumni Association President and Vice Chancellors and in a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

鈥淎s you can imagine, we wish he were here today to take part in this day, to see the fruition of that spark years ago,鈥� said Laura Richter, speaking on behalf of her family as she shared reflections of Kirk with an audience of about 150 people gathered inside the new space. 鈥淭o accept thanks for his quiet generosity and modeling of what it means to always remember who you are and where you came from, and never forget that where your heart is, your treasure will also reside.鈥�

Kirk Richter鈥檚 example of giving back, through both service and philanthropy, inspired others to become involved and invest in UMSL鈥檚 future, helping to bring to life the sparkling 31,000-square foot space, designed by architect and her team at the , and complete with numerous lounge areas and meeting spaces that will be used to invite people of all kinds into the UMSL community. A tribute to Richter and his family is featured on the building鈥檚 main-floor donor wall alongside recognition of the alumni, families and friends whose generosity helped make the center possible, including Terry and Stan Freerks, Mark and Kathy Jansen, David Reifschneider, Paul Matteucci and the Honorable Brenda Stith Loftin.

Prospective and current students will be able to meet members of as they search for answers to questions about financial aid, scholarships, academic programs and all the resources the university offers to help students succeed.

Graduates will also be able to seek out members of the to learn about what鈥檚 going on at their university and how they can contribute to its future success.

鈥淭his is the front door to the University of Missouri鈥撟钚滦影稍�,鈥� Sobolik said. 鈥淚t is from here that everybody stands.鈥�

The project that Kirk Richter pushed for has become a centerpiece of the , a multi-year effort to improve and modernize the university鈥檚 campus through $110 million in construction and renovation projects so that it鈥檚 prepared to meet the needs of students now and into the future.

鈥淭he work that made this building possible began years ago with a deliberate effort to reimagine our campus and create for our students, faculty and staff the environments that they need to thrive,鈥� Sobolik said.

It is because of that preparation that the university was ready to act, with the backing of elected officials, when an extraordinary opportunity for funding arose from the state of Missouri, made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act.

In all, the state directed $80 million toward UMSL over a three-year period to support Transform UMSL projects. Alumni, donors and community partners also stepped forward, contributing more than $19 million to help reinvent the campus. The university is stronger because of their collective efforts.

Williams, who has been a strong advocate for UMSL at the state capitol in Jefferson City, explained why he thinks the opening of the Richter Family Welcome and Alumni Center is so significant.

鈥淚 want to acknowledge that, somewhere out there, there鈥檚 a family ready to drive onto this campus for the first time,鈥� Williams said during brief remarks. 鈥淢aybe that student is the first one, like me, in their family to try college, and maybe it鈥檚 a student flying in from another state or country who never set foot a single day in 最新杏吧原创. Either way, what happens those first 10 minutes shapes whether they can picture themselves here at all. That鈥檚 what this building is for.鈥�

Kirk Richter too was once a first-generation college student seeking a home in higher education. He didn鈥檛 come from out of state but rather from the Walnut Park neighborhood of north 最新杏吧原创, graduating from . UMSL welcomed him in as part of its second class in 1964.

Laura Richter said her father paid $10 per credit hour and had the backing of a Price Waterhouse Coopers scholarship as he worked to earn his degree. It forever changed his life.

Kirk Richter went on to become a CPA and wound up spending the bulk of his career 鈥� more than three decades 鈥� working in accounting and finance for , the 最新杏吧原创-based chemical, life science and biotechnology company. He retired in 2012 as the company鈥檚 interim chief financial officer.

Richter believed strongly that others be given the same opportunity he had to get a quality education at UMSL. That was what motivated him to stay connected to the university, serving on the Business Alumni Board starting at its inception in 1975 and in retirement becoming the Alumni Association president and contributing to the planning and construction for the home of the College of Business in .

Though he was honored with the , chosen as a and presented, alongside Maureen, with the , Richter was never one to seek out credit or recognition.

鈥淲e celebrate this humble man who, right down to the last bit, insisted that this not be called the Kirk Richter Center but the Richter Family Welcome and Alumni Center, because, as he would have told you, this isn鈥檛 about him,鈥� Laura Richter said. 鈥淎nd while he would maintain that this wasn鈥檛 about him, we want to suggest that some small part of today is really about my dad and all of you who shared that passion and that vision, that long-standing commitment to education, to the university, and to this city.鈥�

The Richter Family Welcome and Alumni Center will mark its official opening with an Alumni Open House on Sept. 24. There is also an open house planned for students, faculty and staff on Sept. 30.