Marjorie Williams

is honored with a Brick from Curtis M. Irby.

Marjorie Williams was born March 6, 1921 in Kansas City, Missouri. She was the daughter of Guy and Lisle Luella (McCormick) Melton. Her parents moved to Wichita when she was three. She had an older sister Jane, and they both attended Park School, Horace Mann Intermediate and North High.

Marjorie enrolled at WSU in September, 1938. She pledged Pi Kappa Psi, but could not stay in the sorority because of financial reasons. She worked as student assistant in Dr. Hugo Wall's office at $.20 per hour making enough to pay the $37.50 per semester tuition and books. During her years at WSU, Marjorie lettered in field hockey, becoming one of the first WSU letterwomen. Marjorie majored in Commerce and had a minor in English and Physical Education, graduating in 1942 with a Liberal Arts Degree from the College of Education.

She went to work for Dr. Ray Elliott, comptroller of WSU. Marjorie married Vernon Lowell Williams on December 28, 1942 and joined him in Sewickley, PA where he was stationed. They lived there until September, 1944 when he was sent to the Pacific. She came back home and worked at Plainview High School, working under Dr. Sid Moore. When Vernon returned home after the war he was able to finish WSU and graduated in 1946.

Marjorie taught Physical Education at Brookside Junior High in Topeka while Vernon attended Washburn Law School. On graduating from law school, Vernon went to work at the Coleman Company in Wichita as a Labor Relations attorney and worked there 38 years. Marjorie spent those years raising their three sons: Michael Lowell, Thomas Patrick and William Benson.

Marjorie took graduate classes at WSU in Library Sciences working towards a Master's Degree. She was and continues to be an active member (for 75 years!) at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. Marjorie and Vernon now have five grandchildren. They are life members of the WSU Alumni Association. Marjorie is a Honorary Life Member of PTA. She has been active in the Republican Party, and when Vernon was in the State Legislature, was active in Legislative Wives. She was a volunteer at St. Francis Hospital in the Surgery Waiting Room for 12 years. Vernon and Marjorie have taken several trips to places as far away as New Zealand and South America. They have season tickets to the WSU basketball and baseball games and are members of SASO. They recently established an endowed scholarship in the Department of Health and Physical Education at WSU.

Marge is a warm-hearted person that made a new niece-in-law feel especially welcome when she joined the family back in 1972. From early family stories, it is clear that she has been the fun-loving one, with just a hint of mischief in her eyes, since girlhood. She is straightforward, says what is on her mind, but always with a little touch of humor and a lot of love. She has touched our lives and so many others, family and friends alike, that we are glad to have this opportunity to say "Thanks."

Submitted by Curtis and Sue Irby, nephew and niece

September 14, 1998