Duane Shryock established the Betty Brown Shryock Education and Business Scholarship in honor of his late wife Betty Brown Shryock, who graduated in 1965 with a degree in Business Education. Before Northwestern, Betty attended Carmen-Dacoma (Oklahoma) High School.
Betty and Duane met at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and married in 1962. After graduating in 1965, they moved to Michigan. Betty worked in the Development Office at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, where she managed the relationships with sponsors and major donors. She also conducted many special events at the Museum and Greenfield Village, an indoor-outdoor complex that features American history. She later managed the office for a manufacturer's representative agency.
Duane Shryock graduated in 1965 with degrees in economics and sociology and then attended Oklahoma State University for its Master of Business Administration degree. He began working for Ford Motor Company in December 1966, serving in major assignments in marketing, sales and service. Duane ended his 32-year career as the Regional Dealer Operations Manager in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1999.
After moving to Roswell, Georgia, in 1990, Betty volunteered in the classrooms and school library for her grandchildren's elementary school. Following their retirement, Betty and Duane provided day care for their grandchildren. Betty was also a talented pianist and gave her children and grandchildren a proper introduction to music, a gift that continues to live. She passed on April 29, 2025.
Investing in Northwestern Oklahoma State University is important to Duane because both the Shryock and Brown families have attended Northwestern since the 1930s. Through this scholarship, Duane hopes to help students earn a degree in either business or education.
“As you see the legacy of these two families with Northwestern, I am so happy that Duane is honoring his wife Betty with this scholarship,” said Dr. Bo Hannaford, President, Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “Our Education and Business students will benefit for years to come because of their love of Northwestern and their love for one another.”
Applicants must be full-time freshmen or continuing students majoring in education or business with a 2.5 GPA or higher.
For more information about the Betty Brown Shryock Education and Business Scholarship or investing in students at Northwestern, contact Skeeter Bird, CEO, Northwestern Foundation & Alumni Association, at [email protected] or 580-327-8593.