Acknowledging five decades of dedicated Trustees

The original board members held their first meeting at 7:30 p.m. on August 22, 1966 in the basement rooms of the Kane County School Offices in the courthouse annex in Geneva. From that humble beginning, Waubonsee's Board of Trustees has guided the college through many years of change and development to what it is today... a leading institution of higher education. 

Portrait of Richard "Shorty" W. Dickson
Richard "Shorty" W. Dickson,
Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus
Richard "Shorty" W. Dickson, Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus

One of the longest serving trustees in the state of Illinois, Richard “Shorty” W. Dickson retired from the Waubonsee Community College Board of Trustees in April 2019 after serving 45 years on the board, 29 years as chair and 11 years as vice chair.

During his tenure, Mr. Dickson helped steer the college from its predominantly rural foundation to one that serves one of Illinois’ largest and most diverse population centers. Throughout this time, Mr. Dickson was an advocate for the conservation and preservation of the land surrounding Waubonsee’s four campuses. Mr. Dickson was known for his sense of humor and wit as well as his faithful attendance at board meetings and numerous college events. Within his 45 years of service on the board, he attended nearly 750 board meetings and nearly 50 commencement ceremonies. A conservative estimate of the number of volunteer hours he provided to the college is 5,000 hours. In addition to his service on the board, Mr. Dickson was instrumental in advancing the education of individual students by providing longstanding financial support through the Anita Memorial and Richard “Shorty” Dickson Scholarships.

The college’s College Center was officially named the Dickson Center in a November 18, 1987 resolution. And, in recognition of his longstanding service and many contributions, Mr. Dickson was awarded the honorary title Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus upon his retirement.