George T. Richards
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Both family history and the love of a liberal arts education ignited George Richards' passion for Penn State and Civil War era history. Two of his great-grandfathers served in the Union Army during the Civil War, a connection that led him to take an active interest in the Civil War Era Center in the College of the Liberal Arts during its formative years.
As an undergraduate student at Penn State, George was manager of the varsity boxing team, served as president of the Sigma Nu fraternity, and chaired the campuswide activities of Spring Week, a week-long series of events that raised scholarship funds. After graduating in 1954 with a degree in commerce, he served in the U.S. Army before earning an MBA from Harvard University.
George worked at Alcoa and later, at The Dexter Corporation, before founding Vitex Packaging, a manufacturer of packaging materials for tea and other consumer goods industries. Under his leadership, the company became the leading supplier to the tea industry in the U.S., the company`s largest market, and held a major market share in Asia. He also served as president of the Tea Association of the U.S.A.
In 1998, George sold the company, which eventually diversified to produce flexible packaging products for the food and beverage, health and beauty, and medical industries. Currently, he serves on the boards of directors of several corporations and is actively involved in commercial real estate investments.
George enjoyed watching Penn State grow into a top public university. The George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center builds Penn State’s reputation even further as it continues its momentum as a top research center. In 2002, George and Ann, his wife, made a significant gift to the Center, providing critical funding for graduate student and faculty research as well as outreach programs for students and teachers. George serves on the Center’s advisory board and provides active leadership to the Center and its initiatives. In recognition of their generosity, the University named the Center in the couple's honor. Today, the George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center is a national leader in Civil War era research.
The Richards endowed the Bart Richards Award in Media Criticism in the Penn State College of Communications, in honor of George's father. George has also been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Mark Twain House and Museum for some years and served as its Vice-Chairman.