The Wichita State University Foundation has received a gift of $2 million from the Flora Lea Wallis Trust. The gift will create an endowed fund to support general scholarships for students at WSU.

 

Wallis was a lifelong resident of the Springfield, Mo., area, where she was a cosmetologist and worked for a printing company. Along with her brother, Chesley, she also owned and operated a dairy farm south of Springfield. Wallis’ ties to Wichita were through her brother, who at one time lived in Wichita and owned the beauty shop in the Beacon Building.

 

Wallis died Feb. 8, 2007, at age 99. She was predeceased by her brother and his wife. The scholarship will bear the names of Wallis, and Chesley and his wife, Ruth.

 

While Wallis never attended WSU, she recognized the importance of a college education and wanted her gift to make it financially possible for students to pursue their educational dreams.

 

“This gift will have a significant positive impact on WSU students for years to come, as they benefit from the generosity of the Wallis legacy,” said Michael Lamb, vice president for planned giving and development services for the WSU Foundation. “We are most grateful to friends and alumni of the university who remember Wichita State in their estate plans.”