Kay Hively: Remembering Richard Boyt

(Kay Hively is a historian, atuhor and was a long-time editor, reporter and columnist for the Neosho Daily News and Neosho Post.)

Richard Boyt was a genius.

When I was a student there, Mr. Boyt was the head of the Crowder College art department and a teacher as well. I was never in his class, but I saw and talked to him many times. If you wanted to find him, you could usually wander down the hall and find him in the art museum. He was either speaking with students or sitting at his potter's bench. And you would always find him with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

Even though I thought of him as a genius, he didn't act in a way that would lead a stranger to recognize his genius. He didn't seem to care about small matters. I think he got up each day, put on whatever shirt or pair of trousers was handy and he was ready to go to school.

He didn't drive a nice car, and lived life very frugally. He was also trying to get energy for his home from water, wind or sun, and his explanations of what he was doing were quite entertaining.

I never heard a negative word about him, but heard plenty from people he had inspired or charmed. I was one of those people.

Beside his love of art, he cut a wide swatch in other fields. He was active in solar energy and was instrumental in Crowder College's solar car efforts.

He also was an inventor who designed many things such as a geodesic dome. He invented a cooking stove and a solar hot water heater, both of which were adapted for use in developing countries. Mr. Boyt was interested in preserving the environment, especially land and trees. He was named the Missouri Tree Farmer of the Year in 2006.

In his years at Crowder College, Mr. Boyt was always available to anyone, be they a non-college adult or a student. No matter what the subject, Mr. Boyt was ready to talk, or more importantly, to listen. He often challenged his students in the kindest way. Because of his graciousness, he made everyone feel as if they were the only person in the world.

His sincere talk, his great little laugh and his genuine interest in everything made him a wise choice as an unofficial counselor.

Mr. Boyt had a wonderful wife, Libby, whom he adored. She was an artist who used horses in much of her art. He loved to tell everyone how wonderful and talented Libby was. When he would point her out and say something nice, she would just poop-poop or completely ignore him, to his delight.

I met most of the Boyt clan, but only got to really know Art, who demonstrates many of the good qualities of his father.

People like Dick Boyt do not come along very often, so when one of them floats into our life, we should, but seldom do, fully appreciate them.

Just between you and me, Dick Boyt was a mighty good man,