San Angelo Chamber Names the 2023 Citizen of the Year

Honoree Richard G. Mayer comes from a legacy family in the Concho Valley. His grandfather, Sol Mayer, a rancher and businessman, is the namesake of the Southwest Council of Scouts USA’s (the Boy Scouts) camp near Menard and the administration building at the University.

Mayer served in the Navy and afterwards trained to become a commercial pilot. However, as soon as he could launch his career in Houston, his family called him back to San Angelo to run the family businesses. He has been married to Betty Joe Clark, or B.J., for 58 years.

While living in Houston, Richard regularly flew gliders with astronaut Neil Armstrong and several other pilots, earning the Symons Wave Memorial Award. Back in San Angelo, he was very involved in sports, where he officiated junior high, high school and Lone Star Conference games for 45 years. He was named a James E. West Fellow for his longtime support of the Boy Scouts of America. He remains active in the San Angelo Stock Show and Rodeo Association.

The Mayers are credited with establishing the West Texas Collection at ASU. Today, the Collection is the book and records depository of West Texas histories. The Mayers funded the ASU women’s softball facilities, the Ram Football stadium and press box, the state-of-the-art Mayer-Rousselot Agriculture Education Training Center at the ASU ranch, and most recently the Mayer Museum.

“When I went to school here, it was still a junior college,” Richard told the ASU Rambouillet in 2016. “So I have been able to see it grow into a four-year college. I like to watch it grow, and it has become a really good university.”

B.J. once traveled with the famous singing group called The Melody Maids with the USO. In the mid-1950s, The Melody Maids toured with Bob Hope. She graduated from SMU in 1960 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and two teaching certifications. 

ASU has grown over the past quarter century to become one of Texas’ premiere teaching universities. B.J. couldn’t have described it better when in 2016, she told the Rambouillet:

“I call ASU a sleeper school,” B.J. said. “It’s not really well known all over the U.S., but it’s a place where you can go and get a very good education—almost one-on-one with your professors. ASU has more to offer in the way of academics because of that. We have a great channel for students going into medical school, physics and many other areas.”

The Chamber recognized the Mayers’ contributions to the community Thursday night and both hold the honor of being San Angelo's Citizens of the Year for 2023.

In addition to honoring the Mayers, the Chamber installed San Angelo businessman Randy Brooks as its next Chairman of the Board. He succeeds Janet Karcher who served as the 2022 Chairperson.