Dedicated supporters shape the Bulldog experience
Honoring the legacies of Jan Richter and Dr. John C. Harris
Fresno State honors the legacy of two longtime supporters: Jan Richter and Dr. John C. Harris. Richter, a proud Fresno State alumna, and her late husband, Bud, established the Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning, ensuring service became a hallmark of the Bulldog experience. Together, they received numerous honors for their generosity, including the Fresno State Foundation Award for Service and the Fresno State Alumni Association’s Arthur Safstrom Service Award. Their enduring legacy continues to inspire students, faculty and staff to give back to the community.
Read more about Jan Richter’s legacy >
Dr. John C. Harris, owner of Harris Farms, was a visionary leader in California agriculture and a champion of thoroughbred racing. He led one of the West’s most diversified agribusinesses and gave generously to education — supporting Fresno State’s Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, the Craig School of Business, the Kremen School of Education and Human Development, the Bulldog Foundation, the Library and the President’s Circle of Excellence. In recognition of his extraordinary impact, he received a Fresno State honorary doctorate in 2019. His legacy continues to shape both California agriculture and the Bulldog community.
Read more about John Harris’ legacy >
Sustaining a stage for young audiences
In a full-circle moment, Dr. Janet Loring — founder of Fresno State’s Theatre for Young Audiences — bequeathed over $4.8 million through her trust to establish the “Dr. Janet Loring Chair in Theatre for Youth” endowment. The gift, the largest received in fiscal year 2025, will sustain the Theatre for Young Audiences and other educational theatre programs in perpetuity.
Loring, who joined the Fresno State faculty in 1957, created the touring children’s theatre program in the early 1960s. For more than 60 years, student actors have performed for hundreds of thousands of children across the San Joaquin Valley, often introducing them to live theatre for the first time.
‘Lead with Pride: The Campaign for Fresno State’
Fresno State officially launched the public phase of its boldest philanthropic campaign yet: “Lead with Pride – The Campaign for Fresno State.” This people-powered movement aims to transform lives through education, discovery and community partnership — reflecting the pride, grit and boundless potential rooted in the Valley and resonating far beyond its borders.
With a focus on four key pillars — pathways of pride, moments that matter, knowledge in action and partners with purpose — the campaign calls on alumni, friends and supporters to help open doors, enrich journeys, advance research and strengthen regional impact.
Stories by BoNhia Lee and Benjamin Kirk (’22)
