The Legacy of Wisdom

The library, at the center of the UW-Stevens Point campus, a place where generations of students pore over resources, lost in thought and the ambition of their own scholarly work. As this place transitions to a new space, still filled with light, energy, and students discovering their purpose, an existing collection will also be recognized with a new namesake:

The Chancellor Thomas George and Barbara Harbach Thesis Collection

Chancellor George’s student-centered dedication makes this a fitting tribute, but behind it is a story of vision, love, and legacy.

Chancellor George served as chancellor of UW-Stevens Point for seven years, guiding UWSP through an era of transformation as the university celebrated the turn of the millennium. Under his leadership, the university expanded its research programs, increased scholarships, leveraged state funding for building projects like the Noel Fine Arts Center, and grew into a national academic leader. Yet those who knew him and his wife best remembered not the statistics or achievements, but their warmth, their constant encouraging presence on campus, and the way they showed a boundless amount of energy and support for all things student centered.

His wife, Barabara, was a partner and supporter of UWSP in every sense. Barbara’s work in music at UWSP enhanced the university’s depth and breadth of the campus program. Her talent and skills imprinted on the students in the music program in an incredibly meaningful way.

After leaving UWSP, Tom and Barbara moved to Missouri where Tom became chancellor of University of Missouri in St. Louis. There he led the largest capital campaign the university had seen to date.  Having raised funds for UW-Stevens Point and University of Missouri -St. Louis, Tom and Barbara understand what can truly happen when philanthropic passion meets inspired priorities at a university. They made a quiet decision that will have a lasting impact: their final gift to UWSP would be one that impacted students. Not for one year, or two, but for generations, through a bequest intention to UWSP that will fund scholarships.

In gratitude and acknowledgement for this forward thinking, hopefully not realized for many, many years to come, UWSP is honored to name the library’s student thesis collection for Tom and Barbara. The UWSP thesis collection currently holds 1800 volumes ranging in subject matter from trout to trumpets. It holds the thoughts and ideas of generations of Pointer alumni during the time they were working tirelessly to discover and pursue their purpose.

“We believe,” Chancellor George said, “that the greatest testament to a university is not the bricks of its buildings, but the ideas its students dare to pursue. Let this collection reflect the voices of future thinkers, dreamers, and builders.”