JOPLIN, Mo. — Former Missouri Rep. Cody Smith was honored on June 11 with the prestigious Richard M. Webster Medallion during a ceremony at the Ron Richard Athletic Center on the Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) campus.
The award recognizes Smith’s leadership and commitment to advancing higher education across Missouri.
“The university is honored to award Cody Smith with the Webster Medallion to recognize his truly distinguished public service. We are grateful for the positive impact he has had on Southwest Missouri and Missouri Southern through his leadership and advocacy in the state legislature,” said Dr. Dean Van Galen, MSSU president.
Smith played a key role in supporting the development of the Roy Blunt Health Science Innovation Center, which is set to offer immersive learning experiences for MSSU healthcare students when it opens in the summer of 2026.
“This facility will reshape our campus and create advances in education, healthcare, economic growth and quality of life across southwest Missouri,” Van Galen said. “Cody Smith does the right things for the right reasons. His belief in the power of education has profoundly impacted every MSSU student — today and for years to come.”
The Richard M. Webster Medallion was established in 2016 in honor of the late Richard M. Webster of Carthage, Mo. Elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1948, Webster became speaker of the House in 1954 and later served in the Missouri Senate from 1962 until his death in 1990.
This is the fifth medallion to be awarded since its establishment in 2016.
