After leaving an indelible mark on the campus of Flint Hills Technical College, former FHTC leaders had their names forever affixed to the institution they played a significant role in establishing and growing Wednesday afternoon.
The college held a renaming ceremony for three buildings as part of its 60-year Diamond Jubilee celebration. During that time, college leadership unveiled the new signage on the college’s main facility, technology building and construction facility which now bears the names of three past leaders all of whom led the college for more than a decade.
The main campus building was named in honor of the late Richard Metcalf who led the institution, then Flint Hills area vocational-technical school, from 1966 to 1988. Metcalf’s family was in attendance for Wednesday’s ceremony and his son Tim Metcalf spoke with KVOE News about the honor.
He says the timing for the event was fitting as it came just four days after what would have been his father’s 100th birthday.
The college’s construction building has been renamed in honor of Keith Stover who led the college from 1988 to 1999 and was at the helm of the institution as it made the transition from vocational school to technical college. He says the transition was challenging, yet extremely rewarding.
Finally, the college’s technology facility was renamed in honor of Dr. Dean Hollenbeck who led FHTC from 2006 until 2021. He says he is very proud of the honor, but even prouder of the work that has been done at the college over the past 60 years to support their students and the community.
FHTC was founded back in 1963 by USD 253 Emporia as the Flint Hills area vocational-technical school. In 1995 the school received associate degree granting status and officially became known as Flint Hills Technical College before the Kansas Board of Regents became the coordinating body of the college following an act from the Kansas Legislature in 1999.
The college became autonomous from USD 253 in 2004 and received re-accreditation for the next 10 years back in January of 2022.
Wednesday’s renaming ceremony will serve as the unofficial lead in to one of the college’s largest annual signature events The Cut Thursday evening. For more information on FHTC, its history and upcoming events be sure to visit FHTC.edu.
