• 1926 Richard M. DeVos born
• 1927 Helen J. Van Wesep born
   

Their Story Begins

Richard M. and Helen J. (Van Wesep) DeVos were both born in Grand Rapids. They met in Grand Rapids and married in 1953. Eventually, their family grew to include four children: Dick, Dan, Cheri, and Doug. Although they touched millions of lives throughout the world with their business and philanthropic endeavors, they were always loyal supporters and advocates for the West Michigan community they called home. Rich and Helen truly lived their values which can be summarized in four words: faith, family, freedom, and philanthropy.

FAITH:

Boldly living with joy and complete trust in God and their Christian faith, the foundation of their lives.

FAMILY:

Strongly believing family is a precious gift from God, the bedrock of democracy, and fertile ground to pass down their values to future generations.

FREEDOM:

Actively encouraging others to pursue their dreams, and reminding them the winds of freedom and opportunity still blow across America.

PHILANTHROPY:

Responsibly and generously stewarding God’s resources and giving faithfully out of obedience, gratitude, and love.

• Amway Corporation founded
   

Entrepreneurial Success

In 1959, Rich and Helen partnered with Jay and Betty Van Andel to co-found Amway Corporation based in Ada, Michigan.

Rich and Jay started in business together while attending Grand Rapids Christian High School, testing many entrepreneurial ideas before starting Amway, which became one of the world’s most successful direct-selling businesses.

Although Rich and Jay are frequently credited with the company’s success, it took a true partnership between the four of them to make it happen. Their son Doug remembers, “Dad, Mom, Jay, and Betty – they were all a team, and certainly in the early days it was ‘all hands on deck,’ if you will, to make things happen and to get things going, and they all played their role.”

• The New Grand Rapids Committee formed
   

Catalysts for Change

As community leaders, it was natural Rich and Helen would be instrumental in the revitalization of downtown Grand Rapids in the 1970s. Rich was chairman of a group called the New Grand Rapids Committee which, along with other community groups, created a shared vision for the vibrant city we enjoy today.

The revitalization eventually included the opening of DeVos Performance Hall and the restoration of the Pantlind Hotel, now the Amway Grand Plaza. It also included a vision for Grand Valley State University’s Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus and the city’s Medical Mile, anchored on the east end by Grand Valley’s Health Campus.

Along with others, Rich and Helen’s leadership became a catalyst for extensive community involvement and philanthropy which fueled future development.

• Rich joins GVSU Board of Control (1975-1982)
   

Champions for Education

Rich and Helen shared a passion for and belief in the importance of education. Helen’s father was a principal, raising her to be a lifelong learner and educator. She graduated from Calvin University with an early education degree and began teaching 2nd grade at Madison School in Grand Rapids in 1947.

As a couple, Rich and Helen supported education from kindergarten through college in West Michigan and across the country. At a Grand Valley University Foundation event, Rich expressed it best: “The progress of the world depends almost entirely upon education.”

It was only natural that Rich served as a member of the Grand Valley State University Board of Control from 1975 to 1982. That was just the beginning of the couple’s four-decade commitment to the success of Grand Valley and our students.

• 1981 Downtown Campus Committee formed
• 1988 L.V. Eberhard Center, first GVSU building in downtown Grand Rapids, opens
• 1992 Rich chairs Grand Valley University Foundation (1992-2016)
• 2000 Grand Valley’s Richard M. DeVos Center opens
   

Leading the Way

As the 1980s dawned, the Grand Valley University Foundation was reinvigorated and expanded. As a part of this expansion, Rich helped chart the course that would ultimately preserve the university for future generations, growing its endowment and significantly increasing community support. 

Rich became chair of the foundation in 1992, a position he held for 25 years. He formed a group of 24 supporters called the GVSU Land Barons to raise money and acquire acreage for expansion of the downtown campus. The foundation also led important projects for students in Holland and Muskegon, as well as on the Allendale campus. Helen became an active member of the foundation’s Advisory Cabinet in 2016.

During this time and until their passing, Helen and Rich supported nearly every capital project at the university and also gave to other programs for students.

• 2002 Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences dedication
• 2013 L. William Seidman Center dedication
   

About Community

Rich and Helen would not let Grand Valley rest on its laurels. With their leadership, the foundation put a plan in motion to raise money for a health sciences center. At the foundation’s annual meeting in 2000, Rich encouraged others to rally around the project, citing health as the “new frontier.”

Combining their passions for Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile and education, the DeVoses helped Grand Valley become the east anchor for the growing health corridor with the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences building, the first on the university’s Health Campus.

As they had been in the past, Rich and Helen were active in this campaign, encouraging others to join. In the DeVoses’ later years, and with their encouragement, the university expanded the Health Campus to meet growing community demand.

When their dear friend and Grand Valley founder Bill Seidman passed away in 2013, Rich and Helen rallied donors to remember him with support for the L. William Seidman Center. This community effort helped the Seidman College of Business become an even greater resource for the community.

• Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health groundbreaking
   

Their Legacy Continues

In 2016, Rich became General Chair Emeritus and Helen remained on the Advisory Cabinet. It was a time of reflection on Rich’s 25 years as the leader of the foundation and a turning point in the university’s history, but certainly not the end of their profound impact on students.

In 2018, when the university broke ground for the third building in its Health Campus, son Dan, then foundation vice-chair, remarked, “Mom and Dad had been involved in the envisioning for the Medical Mile and everything that’s been going on here and throughout the city. During these projects and their years at Grand Valley, they were writing checks and encouraging others to do so. And others did write checks. And along the way [Mom and Dad] were celebrating.”

At Grand Valley, we will always remember and celebrate the lives of Rich and Helen DeVos, who made such a difference for so many.

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