FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                          May 27, 2005

GEORGE DYER TRUST ESTABLISHES SCHOLARSHIP FUND AT NORTHWESTERN

            Through a trust established before his death, former Freedom resident George W. Dyer has established the George and Anna Dyer Memorial Teaching Scholarship endowment with the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Foundation.

            With the completion of probate, trustees have released $410,000 to the Foundation and proceeds from the sale of 240 acres of grassland north of Freedom also will go into the endowment. The land will be sold this fall.

            Interest from the endowment will be used to fund the scholarships.

            “Through the very great generosity of George Dyer, the Foundation will be able to provide approximately 30 scholarships each year to students enrolled in the teacher education program,” said Jane McDermott, executive director of the Foundation.

            Ten percent of the interest earned each year will be retained to insure continued growth of the endowment.

            Dyer died In January 2004 at the age of 98. He had moved to Oklahoma from Kentucky with his family in 1906 and he and his wife Anna lived on his family’s homestead. He attended Red Hill Grade School and high school in Alva and Oklahoma City. At Capital Hill High, he was a member of the state championship wrestling team and state all-star football team.

            He and Anna Floris Holmes were married for 60 years before her death in 1998. She had grown up in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma and attended Northwestern State Normal High School. She received her teaching certificate from Northwestern Normal College and taught at Red Hill, Sunshine, Faulkner and other rural grade schools in the area.

            In addition to farming and ranching, he loved flying and was a member of the Flying Farmers. He and Anna made many air trips, including one to Alaska. Other trips included mountain vacations, square dancing jamborees, rodeos and business trips.

            Dyer was described as a person who cherished his relationships with others and always wanted to do something for his friends, relatives and the community.

            “I think the Dyer scholarship is a good example of volunteers helping the Foundation do its job,” said Dr. Paul Beran, president of Northwestern, while speaking of the Foundation’s function of receiving and investing funds to create scholarships.

            “The Dyers get to live on through the students they help. It’s a good deal for students, a good deal for the university and good deal for the (Dyer) family,” Beran said.

-NW-