Mickey Armstrong ’45: life-long Shocker
Born in Wichita on Dec. 24, 1923, Mildred “Mickey” F. (McCoy) Armstrong ’45 was a lifelong resident of the city. After graduating from Cathedral High School, she enrolled at the University of Wichita and soon became ensconced in campus life. She served as president of the sorority Alpha Tau Sigma, her junior class, Young Republicans and Mortar Board. In addition, she was a member of the YWCA, University Players, the pep group Wheaties, the Newman Club and Orchesis, a dance club that was set up, she once explained, “for people interested in dance but not performers. It was wonderful physical workouts — beautiful, flowing movements and interpretations.” Over the years, Orchesis members posed for year book photos in dramatic costumes, striking graceful attitudes.
World War II was declared during her freshman year, and, she recalled years later that “the boys started leaving to go to war. The campus was pretty much full of women.” One sorority gave up its house to serve as an Air Force infirmary, and the men remaining on campus consolidated WU’s four fraternities into one for the duration. Still, she described WU during the war years as “pretty exciting, quite a united campus. We had a little bit of everything. The lure of the university was that it was small and it was local. Transportation got to be tough, so it was good to have a good local university.”
The layout of the campus was quite different then, with only four main buildings — the bookstore, for instance, was in a corner of Jardine Hall and the second floor of the Commons building was the designated hangout for food and a Coke. She graduated in 1945 with a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature, and became the alumni association’s second paid secretary, taking up the position first held by Esther Wenzel ’34. Armstrong described the monumental task of collecting and organizing alumni records: “We worked by guess and by golly. We’d have a name and we’d try the phone book. Did someone know them? Did they work at WU? Did they go to war?” Somehow, she noted, alumni records were made. A monthly newsletter was sent out. And, also part of her duties, football, baseball and theater tickets were sold and tracked.
On June 13, 1948, Mickey McCoy married Edward W. “Pete” Armstrong ’42, who had served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII as a photo officer and joined McCormick-Armstrong Company, Inc. in 1946, later serving as president and CEO and chairman of the board of the printing company.The couple raised four daughters and were active both individually and jointly in many aspects of community, business, civic and cultural life. She was secretary of the Women’s Association of the Wichita Symphony, president of the Junior League of Wichita, president of the Wichita Historical Museum and the Sedgwick County Health Facilities Council and president of the Altar Society at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.
From 1992-1995, Mickey and her husband co-chaired Wichita State’s Campaign for Students, surpassing the goal and raising $11.2 million in scholarship funds. In 2016, the Armstrongs were inducted into the WSU Fine Arts Hall of Fame for their longstanding support of the university and its College of Fine Arts. During their collegiate years, they shared a love of theater; Mickey performed in “The Contrast” her freshman year, and Pete performed in the operetta “The Wild Flower.” The Mickey and Pete Performing Arts Scholarship was established in 2006 in support of music theater students. The couple also gave generously to many areas across the university. They were, for example, key in helping bring the Gordon Parks collection of papers and memorabilia to Wichita State.
In 2016, Mickey Armstrong was recognized by the alumni association she had worked with such dedication, determination and verve to organize and grow during a special presentation of the WSU Award of Distinction. At the ceremony, it was noted that few others had cultivated such an abiding interest in and support of alumni records, communications and, more generally, safeguarding the history and traditions of Wichita State University.
Mickey Armstrong died Nov. 17, 2025, in Wichita.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Paul’s Catholic Student Center, 1810 N. Roosevelt, Wichita, KS 67208 and Wichita State University College of Fine Arts (Mildred F. Armstrong Scholarship Fund), 1845 Fairmount St., Wichita, KS 67260.
