WICHITA, Kan. — Wichita State University and the University of Kansas will split an $11 million gift from a former Wichita resident.
Both schools will receive $5.5 million to provide full-ride scholarships through a bequest from the estate of Richard “Dick” Smith, who graduated from Kansas and lived in Wichita for years. Smith, who died in January 2021, founded the Range Oil company in Wichita in 1964. At Wichita State, undergraduates in any field of study will be eligible for the scholarships.
At Kansas, the money will be divided between general scholarships and scholarships for students studying geology.