Sept. 16, 2026–Missouri Western State University will celebrate Founder’s Day with a proclamation from the mayor of St. Joseph and the reveal of a time capsule that was buried on campus in 1990.
The event will take place at 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21 at the Glenn E. Marion Memorial Clock Tower, with a reception to follow in the MWSU Library in the Hearnes Center. The event is free and open to the public. Visitors may park in Lot K, across from Popplewell Hall. Golf cart shuttles will be provided to the clock tower. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to the Fulkerson Center.
Featured speakers include Dr. Lenny Klaver, MoWest’s president; Dr. Suzanne Kissock, dean of the College of Business and Professional Studies; Student Government Association officers Tawanda Charumuka II, president, and Unyque Mallett Floyd, vice president; St. Joseph’s mayor, Larry Miller; and Dr. Melody Smith, alumni council president.
The time capsule was buried in 1990 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first class of students to graduate from MoWest after it became a four-year college. It was initially located behind Eder Hall, but had to be moved several years later to make room for the construction of Murphy Hall. The time capsule was supposed to be opened in 2020, but like many other events fell victim to the pandemic that year.
A selection of items from the time capsule will be displayed at the reception in the library following the ceremony.
Monday’s events kick off a week of activities to celebrate MoWest’s past, explore its present and look forward to its future:
- MoWest History and Name that Griffon, all week in the Library: Explore historical exhibits and help identify Griffons in past photos
- Panel and Networking Event: Alumni Who Work in Nonprofit, 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, Blum 218: An afternoon of conversation and networking with local nonprofit leaders who are MoWest alumni.
- Campus Crawl, 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, Check-in at Leah Spratt Hall Atrium: Take a tour around campus with stops along the way for behind-the-scenes peeks at the Walter Cronkite Memorial and the University Art Gallery; nursing, respiratory therapy, social work and physical therapy spaces and the Bushman Planetarium. Registration is requested but not required. RSVP at griff.vn/CampusCrawl
- Griffon Volleyball vs. Northwest Missouri State, 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, Looney Fieldhouse
- Family Day, Saturday, Sept. 26, fun activities for the whole family followed by Griffon Football vs. Fort Hays State, 7 p.m., Spratt Memorial Stadium
Founder’s Day commemorates Sept. 20, 1915, the first day of classes at St. Joseph Junior College. The college was later renamed Missouri Western Junior College, then Missouri Western College, Missouri Western State College and finally Missouri Western State University in 2005.
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.