Janiece Elaine Richter, a Fresno State alumna and longtime supporter of the university, who with her husband, Bud Richter, established a transformational center on campus to “instill in students a lifelong character trait of giving to the community,” passed away on June 10. Her husband preceded her in death in 2021.
Jan, as she was known, attended Fresno Roosevelt High School in Fresno where Bud Richter was her high school sweetheart. They eloped in 1947 while Jan was a student at Fresno State and Bud Richter served in the U.S. Navy. She left the university and went to work in Palo Alto while Bud studied at Stanford University. They returned to Fresno in 1949 and their son, Brad, was born four years later.
Throughout their lives, Jan and Bud were partners in everything and were guided by the Christian principle, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” With Jan’s constant support, Bud Richter became a successful businessman who joined the family business, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co., after graduation. Under his leadership, the company grew to have a commanding market share in the Valley in its beverage category. While Jan and Bud’s success grew, so too did their generosity.
“Jan, with Bud, left an incredible legacy at Fresno State for our entire Valley community; they represent the best of the human — and the Bulldog — spirit in their manifestation of servant leadership. With the Richter Center, Bud and Jan positioned Fresno State as the undisputed leader in community engagement and service-learning. Thanks to their vision, our students, faculty and staff have annually provided over 1 million hours of service to the community benefiting our region. The Richter Center has become instrumental to our mission of forging leaders who are fully embedded in our surrounding communities.”
Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval
While Bud Richter served on the Bulldog Foundation and the California State University, Fresno Athletic Corporation, Jan was a charter member of the Bulldog Women’s Foundation.
The Richters served as co-chairs during the silent phase for Fresno State’s fîrst Comprehensive Campaign from 2005-13, which raised over $214 million. They supported the Kremen School of Education and Human Development, where they established the Richter Awards of Excellence in Education to honor faculty and staff for their service. They were also involved in the planning of the Teachers Honor Wall that sits in front of the Education Building.
In 2007, the Richters established an endowment for the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning at Fresno State to help students realize unique personal, professional and academic benefits when involved in service to others. This generous commitment provides support for Fresno State students in perpetuity.
“Jan’s sense of humor, compassion and devotion to others, especially her late husband, Bud, were unmatched. The joy she brought into this world will long be remembered by the hundreds of people who were blessed to know her. Beyond that, the generosity of her and Bud has and will continue to bless thousands of others for decades to come.”
Chris Fiorentino, director of the Richter Center
Jan and Bud Richter received numerous awards for their support of the university, including the Fresno State Foundation Award for service and the Fresno State Alumni Association’s Arthur Safstrom Service Award.
Jiménez-Sandoval ordered the Fresno State flags be posted at half-staff on Thursday, Aug. 7 in Jan’s honor.
