The Murray State University Foundation is receiving one of the largest single scholarship endowment gifts ever donated to the school.
This estate gift of nearly $3 million is from the Bill and Louise Hatley Estate of Providence.
The gift will establish an endowment for student scholarships in engineering technology and technical education programs.
Bill Hatley was a 1948 graduate of Wheatcroft High School before earning his bachelor’s degree in industrial education and an administration certificate at Murray State. He worked in vocational and technical education his entire life. He retired in 1994 after 41 years of service in nine counties. He died in 2009.
Louise Hatley was a customer service representative at West Kentucky Bank for 30 years. She died in 2017.
Murray State President Bob Davies said the gift is “perfectly timed” with the recent completion of a new engineering facility on campus.
Murray State said in the release, the Hatleys were active in many community and charitable causes and they had a long history of providing annual support to Murray State.
