Richard F. Reicherter

Dr. Richard (Dick) F. Reicherter

Dr. Richard (Dick) F. Reicherter passed away on December 28, 2009 at Plaza West Regional Health Center.  He was born September 24, 1920 in Lillis, Kansas, the son of Henry Reicherter and Theresa (Tessie) Noud Reicherter.  He grew up on the family farm and attended a one room school house in Lillis, later graduating from Marysville High School.  He was a dear friend, a distinguished education professional and a devoted community member in several Kansas communities over the years.   Dick was an avid cook, traveler and volunteer.   His travels included the fifty states, Europe, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Israel, Jordan and Egypt.   He enjoyed dancing and socializing.  His education career spanned for more than sixty years.  His motto was, “Serving, I live.”  He credited his favorite grade school teacher, Mrs. Elizabeth Kilduff Donahay, with inspiring him to pursue teaching as a career. 

Dick attended Kansas State Teacher’s College of Pittsburg, KS in 1938 and received a teaching certificate.   To defray the cost of going to university during the depression, Dick’s paternal Grandmother, Mrs. Henry (Mattie) Reicherter, made and sold quilts.  He began his teaching career at the age of 19 as a certified teacher in a one-room school house that served all eight grades at Elm Slough School in Flush, KS.    In 1941-1942 he served as a teacher and principal at Emmet Grade School in Emmet, KS.  He joined the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1942 and served in Miami Beach, FL during WW II supervising the handling of mail being sent abroad to the troops.  He was also stationed at Kelley Field, TX, Spokane, WA, and Sacramento, CA.  He was honorably discharged in 1945. 

He completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Business at Washburn University in 1947.  He studied at Columbia University in New York earning his Masters in Business Administration in 1950 and his Ph.D. in Business and Economics in 1968. 

Dick was a teacher, principal and superintendant of St. Mary’s High School in St. Mary’s KS from 1947 to 1957 and during that time oversaw the combining of the public and Catholic high schools to reduce costs and expand educational services for St. Mary’s students. 

In 1957 he became a full professor at Emporia State University (ESU) teaching courses in management, economics, organizational behavior, speech, drama, English, leadership development, and accounting.   He was the advisor at ESU for Phi Beta Lambda Business Organization, Personnel Management Association, and the Administrative Management Society.  He founded a chapter of the Blue Key National Honor Society and Leadership Fraternity which is a premier honor society that recognizes college students at senior institutions of higher education for balanced and all-around excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service.  He served as the National President of Blue Key from 1967 to 1986 and as the local advisor for nearly 30 years in Emporia.  One of the projects Blue Key completed was raising over $180,000 to establish and staff the first Emporia Senior Citizen Center in 1984.   In 1983, Blue Key established the Richard F. Reicherter Blue Key National Honor Society Scholarship which is a permanently endowed scholarship at ESU.  

He retired from ESU in 1986.  Blue Key graduates from ESU hosted a weekend celebration for Dick in August, 2009 in Olathe, Kansas at the home of Pam Konetzni to honor his impact on hundreds of graduates of Blue Key.    Blue Key members from across the country attended this event.

Dick believed that teachers should travel and experience the world to be effective teachers.  During his career, Dick served as a guest professor at Pontifical Catholic University in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Teachers College at Columbia University in New York, University of Oregon at Eugene, Southern Oregon College in Ashland, Oregon, and Bethlehem University West Banks, Israel.  He was the Chairman of Business Education and Office Administration at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. during the summer sessions from 1965-1986. 

He was National President of the National Catholic Business Education Association from 1978-1982.  He served as a guest speaker, consultant and keynote speaker throughout the country on numerous leadership topics, edited a number of newsletters and published numerous articles during his career.  One of his areas of expertise was teaching organizations about parliamentary procedure.

Dick held membership in honorary organizations such as Delta Pi Epsilon, Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Delta Kappa at Columbia University in New York.  He was a national honorary member of Phi Beta Lambda and the Future Business Leaders of America.  In 1981, Dick was selected as one of four National Business Persons of the Year by the National Phi Beta Lambda Business Organization at the National Conference in Chicago.   He was an advisor for Pi Omega Pi at Emporia State and was in Sagamore at Washburn University and the American Management Association.    He was a member of the Association of MBA Executives New York, the Eastern Business Education Association, and the Maryland Business Education Association.  He was also named in Who’s Who in the Midwest, Who’s Who in American Universities and Colleges, Personalities of the West and Midwest, and Leaders in Education.  He served on the advisory committee for Business and Office Education for the Washington, D.C. Public Schools.  In 1984, Dick was selected as the first recipient of the Distinguished Lectureship in Business for the National Catholic Business Education Association.

After his retirement from ESU, he relocated to the Topeka area and served as an Adjunct Professor at Washburn University, Baker University, Avila College in Kansas City and the Topeka Center of Friends University.  He was also a substitute teacher at Hayden High and Shawnee Heights High Schools.   He was a life-long member of the Catholic Church and active in the Emporia Sertoma Club, Knights of Columbus, Optimist Club, American Legion, Rotary Club and the International Society of Topeka.  

Dick was a member of Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church.  He was Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus of Lillis in St. Joseph Parish and he was Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus of Emporia in Sacred Heart Parish.  He was the District Governor of the Serra Club in the Archdiocese in Kansas City, and he also served as the President of the Topeka Chapter of the Serra Club.

Dick was preceded in death by his sister Laverne and his brother Leo (Jack).  Survivors include a nephew, John Bales of Golden, CO. and three nieces:   Martha (Marty) Fletcher of Topeka, Susan Gampper of Lenexa, KS, and Nancy Lee Craft of Virginia Beach, VA.  He has many cousins in Topeka and the Lillis area.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Brennan-Mathena Funeral Home, 800 SW 6th, Topeka, KS 66603.   A  Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus Rosary and Chalice Ceremony will be at 7:00 p.m. followed by a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 30 at the funeral home.   A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, December 31, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 3601 SW 17th St., Topeka, KS 66604. 

Memorial contributions may be sent to the funeral home or made to:  Vocations Program at the Archdiocese of Kansas City 12615 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, KS 66109, to support seminarians; or to Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church and sent in care of Brennan-Mathena Funeral Home, 800 SW 6th Topeka, KS 66603.   Online condolences may be left for the family through the funeral home website at www.brennanmathenafh.com.