William and Helen Richards
MIDDLETOWN – The Orange Hall Theatre at the SUNY Orange Middletown campus has been named as the William and Helen Richards Theatre at Orange Hall in honor of the former college president and his wife.
Richards, who had retired and moved to Aurora, Colorado, died last October.
The SUNY Orange Board of Trustees decided to name the theatre after the man who served as college president for 12 years.
“Bill and Helen possessed a love of literature, an appreciation of the arts, and a commitment to supporting a wide range of cultural activities in the area,” said Board of Trustees Chairwoman Joan Wolfe. “Bill often spoke of his vision of a first-class Center for the Fine and Performing Arts at the Middletown campus.”
Wolfe said that the Richards “understood that providing musical, artistic, cultural and theatrical experiences for Orange County Community College students enhanced the students’ academic experience. They also believed improved access to the arts would enrich the greater Middletown and Newburgh communities.”
