Longtime Wichita resident leaves $11 million to WSU, KU for full-ride scholarships
Students at Wichita State University and the University of Kansas will be able to apply for full-ride scholarships after an $11 million gift from a longtime Wichita resident.
Both schools will receive $5.5 million through a bequest from the estate of Richard “Dick” Smith.
Smith was born in Oklahoma City and lived for years in Wichita. He graduated from KU and Harvard. He founded the Range Oil company in Wichita in 1964. He died in January 2021, a press release said.
Smith’s widow, Sondra Langel, said Smith believed strongly in the power of education.
“Dick believed that a college education could have an incomparable impact on the direction an individual’s life could take, ‘‘ Langel said. “His family and friends join in celebrating the opportunities his scholarships will create for thousands of young Kansas students.”
At WSU, undergraduates in any field of study will be eligible for the Richard ‘Dick’ Smith scholarship,’ a press release says.
At KU, the money will be divided between general scholarships and scholarships for students studying geology. Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from KU in 1954.
The scholarships at both institutions will cover all expenses, including tuition, fees, books and housing.