Throughout his career in the railroad industry — which included senior-level positions for the Canadian National Railway Company, Union Pacific, Southern Pacific and Burlington Northern — Berry recognized the quality of his Missouri State education. Following retirement, he established the William K. Berry Strafford High School Scholarship.

So far, his gift has assisted 17 students from his former school.

“It had been my childhood dream to enroll in Missouri State. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my uncle, Laurence Peters, (’51),” said Berry. “The University prepared me extremely well for my career. Establishing a scholarship was a way of showing my appreciation for what it did for me. I want to encourage more Strafford students to attend Missouri State because I truly believe it will help them be successful in their chosen fields.”

To learn how you can help potential MSU students set their educations in motion, contact the Missouri State Foundation at 417-836-4143.