Harry had long dreamed of building a performing arts center in his hometown of Boise, and after he died in 1971, Velma Morrison sought assistance from family, friends, and colleagues to ensure Harrys dream. In a public-private partnership with Boise State University, which also desired a performing arts center and education facility for the growing Music and Theatre Departments, Mrs. Morrison worked with the President of Boise State University Dr. John Keiser to secure the funding needed to build the Morrison Center on the campus along the banks of the Boise River.

The Legislature appropriated $5.2 million to construct an academic wing and an additional $13 million was raised through donations from the Harry W. Morrison Family Foundation and individuals, corporations, and private businesses to finish the performing arts center. The Morrison Center opened on April 7, 1984, as a stunning modern fixture to the Boise skyline with a 10-story stage house and a building footprint in the shape of the state of Idaho.

The Morrison Center was renamed the Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts on the 10th-anniversary celebration.