Tom and Mary Hunter believe the education they received at Northwestern helped them both achieve their goals. Their formative years at Northwestern came with fond memories and happy times. They established the Tom and Mary Hunter scholarship to help students pursue their educational goals with fewer financial obstacles and the confidence to reach beyond what they may have thought possible. They also hope recipients will consider building their careers and lives in northwest Oklahoma, giving back to the communities that helped shape their own journeys.
Tom and Mary met the summer after Tom graduated from high school. At the time, Mary was preparing to begin her junior year at Woodward High School in Woodward, Oklahoma, while Tom was starting his freshman year at Northwestern in Alva. They dated throughout Mary's time at Northwestern and were married in the summer of 1974 on a Friday, just days before classes began the following Monday.
After graduation, the couple moved to Amarillo, Texas, where Tom entered the police academy. Mary was accepted into the nursing program at West Texas State University. Between semesters of her senior year they welcomed their first child, a milestone that reshaped their plans for the future.
Around that same time, Mary's parents, who owned Modern Appliance in Woodward, were considering retirement. Three years after moving to Texas, Tom and Mary returned to Woodward. Tom went to work at Modern Appliance while Mary studied for her registered nursing exam.
Mary became a registered nurse in the spring of 1978 and began working at Woodward Hospital. Two years later, in 1980, the Hunters purchased Modern Appliance from Mary's parents. They continued to grow the business while raising their three children.
Throughout the years, Tom and Mary have remained active in the Woodward community. They have been involved with organizations such as the Main Street program, the Northwest Oklahoma Literacy Council and many other community activities. Later in life Mary was diagnosed with dementia, which forced her to step away from the work and community involvement she enjoyed so much, especially her support of local area education.
"What an outstanding gift to establish a scholarship that will provide our students the opportunity to reach their dreams of graduation while reducing their cost of going to school," said Dr. Bo Hannaford, President, Northwestern Oklahoma State Univeristy. " Tom and Mary are giving back in a big way to our University and I can't thank them enough."