Our History

As early as 1960, plans were being formulated by Mrs Lila. Thompson and Mrs. Rydonia Jones to establish some sort of small facility for children and adults with mental retardation in the Richmond area.  They discovered that a bill was pending in the legislature to establish state institutions in the Gulf Coast area.  The placement of the institution depended on the readiness of the community to provide land and support for such a facility.

On September 21, 1960, Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Jones met with Wharton Weems, a trustee for the George Foundation, to investigate the possibility of a donation of land or money for the location of a facility for the mentally retarded in Fort Bend County.  They were joined by Kathleen Joerger Lindsey, a local attorney who was there on another errand, but quickly joined forces with Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Jones.  Later, a co-authored bill was created regarding the establishment of the facility.

On April 14, 1961, the George Foundation announced through Mrs. Lindsey that they would give $100,000 for the purchase of land located by the committee as a site for the new state school.  The desired acreage was owned by Vaclav Pultar and his wife Anna Pultar, and was located in a bend of the Brazos River north of Richmond.  Mr. Pultar had announced his intention to donate all the money from the sale of the land to his church.  The Option Agreement was signed by the Pultars, Raymond Rude, Andrew Briscoe and Kathleen Lindsey as trustees.  The groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 31, 1965.

Today, the Richmond State Supported Living Center is a 24-hour intermediate care facility serving over 300 Texans from Fort Bend County and 12 surrounding counties who live with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is their home. We must continue to support these residents to help them attain success in their level of independence and in their ability to make choices.