Velma L. Wallace Education Scholarship

Velma Lunt Wallace was born and raised in Wichita, where she graduated from Wichita Business College. She joined Cessna Aircraft Company in 1937 as an executive secretary, where she met and later married Dwane Wallace. He went on to become president and then chairman of the company. In 1976, they established the Dwane L. and Velma L. Wallace Endowment, which supports scholarships for engineering students and provides funds for the WSU College of Engineering. The program has benefited hundreds of students.

Mrs. Wallace was deeply involved in the community at many levels, earning her the Wichita Area Girl Scout Council Woman of Distinction Award in 1997, the Uncommon Citizen Award from the Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce in 1998, the Forum for Executive Women Wing Walker Award in 1998 and the National Conference for Community and Justice Brotherhood and Sisterhood Award in 2002.

In 2010, Mrs. Wallace was named the first recipient of the Wichita Aero Club Trophy, which honors those with strong ties to the Wichita area who have made significant contributions to the aviation or aerospace industries. Wichita State also honored Mrs. Wallace by recognizing her as an honorary alumna and bestowing on her the WSU President’s Medal.

Mrs. Wallace died in 2012. It was her wish that this scholarship fund be awarded to students in the WSU College of Education. She also endowed scholarship funds for student-athletes and for students in the WSU College of Fine Arts, School of Music.