MANHATTAN, KS — With construction underway for Kansas State University’s Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation, the university announced a slight name change to honor the Western Star Mill.
Now officially the Western Star Global Grain and Food Center, the renaming pays homage to J.J. Vanier, who purchased the struggling flour mill in 1925.
After Joe and Joyce Vanier Hale married in 1951, Joe joined the Vanier family business, Western Star Mill Co. In the early ’70s, Archer Daniels Midland acquired Western Star, and Joe was named president of ADM Milling shortly thereafter. He became company chair in 1989 and retired in 1996, but not before transforming ADM into a global leader in the flour and grain milling industry.
“Today, we celebrate a legacy that not only shaped global agriculture but also energizes our land-grant mission of innovation and impact,” said Richard Linton, PhD, the university’s president. “Renaming the Global Center for Grain and Food Innovation to the Western Star Global Grain and Food Center honors the visionary leadership of the Vanier and Hale families. Their enduring commitment to Kansas State University reflects a shared belief: Discovery and education are powerful tools to meet global challenges and cultivate a thriving, sustainable future.”
In a joint statement, the Vanier and Hale families spoke of K-State’s strengths as the home of the world’s only collegiate academic department dedicated to milling, baking, feed and pet food:
“We are deeply honored that this remarkable new facility will carry the Western Star name, a name rooted in our families’ history and in Kansas’ longstanding leadership in agriculture. The Western Star Grain and Food Center represents more than a building — it will be a shared commitment to advancing grain and food science, empowering students and strengthening the global food system. We are grateful for the opportunity to help propel its impact across Kansas and far beyond.”
The Western Star Global Grain and Food Center is slated for completion in fall 2026 and will support advances in food product development, food safety and food security. The new facility will feature state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms and interdisciplinary partner spaces that will elevate the academic experience and drive on-site collaboration between public resources and private enterprises.
