Sara Hyde Corbin Memorial Scholarship in Political Science

Sara Grace ‘sally’ Hyde grew up in the College Hill area of Wichita, Kan. Granddaughter of Albert Alexander Hyde, inventor and founder of the Mentholatum Company, she attended the University of Wichita for one year before transferring to Stanford University. While at Stanford, she met and married Harry Corbin Jr., a graduate of WU in 1940 with a degree in political science. After obtaining her degree in Spanish, the two returned to Wichita. In 1949, Dr. Harry Corbin became president of WU, the youngest university president in the nation at the time.

While Dr. Corbin was known for leading the fight to bring the university into the state system of higher education, Mrs. Corbin was greatly admired for her gracious and unwavering support of President Corbin. A well-read and cultured woman of strong principles, she was known for her conversational and organizational skills. In 1969, six years after the resignation of Dr. Corbin, she was diagnosed with myotonic muscular dystrophy. During her illness, she was accredited for her stoicism, never complaining of her situation. Dr. Corbin established the Sara Hyde Corbin Scholarship in Political Science in honor of his wife.