Category: News

It was a bright and sunny afternoon in August 2021 when Pedro Piña-Guerrero received a call that would change his life: He had won the Adelante Scholarship to attend Wichita State University. In the background, he could hear his mom squealing. As the phone call ended, Pedro knew he was about to become the first in his family to earn a college degree.

The “Legacies of Racism in American Culture” series will return at 3 p.m. today, Dec. 1 via Zoom (Meeting ID: 998 4330 8081, Passcode: 441316). Robert E. Weems, Jr., who has been Wichita State’s Willard W. Garvey Distinguished Professor of Business History since 2011, will present on the subject while Andrew Hippisley, dean, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will host the event.

Many people associate Jim Crow racial segregation with the discriminatory treatment of African Americans in the realms of public accommodations, education and housing. However, this phenomenon also manifested itself in the realm of business. This presentation will discuss how the birth, growth and disappearance of black-owned insurance companies represents a useful case study of how “separate and unequal” operated in the business world.

Weems has published and spoken widely in the field of African American business history. His publications in African American business history include five books and numerous articles and book chapters. Weems served as a historical consultant and appeared in the documentary “Boss: The Black Experience in Business,” which premiered on PBS in April 2019. In June 2021, Weems was the keynote speaker at a program sponsored by the regional banks of the Federal Reserve titled “Racism and the Economy: Focus on Entrepreneurship.”

Once again, the Wichita State Post Office will offer a variety of Santa letters to send to a child. The letter from Santa will be forwarded to the Santa Claus Post Office in Indiana for a pictorial postmarking and then sent to the addressee on the envelope. Each letter costs $1.50. The last day to purchase a letter is Friday, Dec. 17, to allow the letters to receive the pictorial postmark.

The Santa Claus Post Office is the only post office in the world with the Santa Claus name. During the Christmas season, thousands of letters are mailed to Santa each year.

The first Santa Claus Post Office opened its doors in 1856. The town’s name did not peak interest, however, until 1914 when Santa Claus’ 14th postmaster, James Martin, began answering the children’s letters.

Soon after, people flocked to the Santa Claus Post Office to get the special postmark; so much that in the early 1930s the U.S. Postal Department suggested changing the name of the town to avoid the Christmas season frenzy.

James Martin continued answering letters and eventually enlisted Jim Yellig, famoust S to aid in helping him write back to children across the world. Today, the non-profit organization, Santa’s Elves Inc., and the Santa Claus Museum organize volunteers to answer all the children’s letters that flood this tiny post office during the holidays. In 2019 and 2020, almost 200 elves answered a total of approximately 51,000 letters.

Wichita State’s Accounts Receivable and Cashiers Office will temporarily close for staff development 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3. For more information, contact 316-978-3333.

Wichita State University Libraries will temporarily close the following days for the Thanksgiving holiday:

Thursday, Nov. 25
Friday, Nov. 26
Saturday, Nov. 27
Sunday, Nov. 28

After 17 years, the Madrigal Singers of Wichita State University will host an Elizabethan-themed dinner and music program at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3 at the Rhatigan Student Center Beggs Ballroom.

Due to construction, the south end of Jardine Hall will be without electricity today, Nov. 24. The Financial Aid and OneStop offices located in Jardine will temporarily close during this time. The Registrar’s Office will be open Nov. 24, but it will be unable to print official transcripts.

Students needing financial aid or OneStop assistance can contact the offices all hours of the day by phone at 316-978-7440 or by chat at the Wichita State OneStop website.

New beginnings are usually an adjustment, and it can be a leap of faith if you are the first to go to college in your family.

A Wichita State researcher has been awarded $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a new type of low-cost and stable photovoltaics.

On July 1,  2022, the first day of fiscal year 2023 (FY23), the Wichita State University Foundation will increase endowed scholarship support for WSU students by $373,756 over the current year, thanks to those who give philanthropically to Wichita State and to the Foundation’s strong investment performance.

Additionally, non-scholarship endowed fund payouts raised through private donations will increase by $160,721. These types of funds typically support student and faculty programs and entities such as the Ulrich Museum of Art and WSU Athletics, among other programs and projects.

Overall, the projected payout from endowed funds to the university will be $8.7 million, an increase of 6.2%  compared to FY 22, which ends June 30, 2022. This amount does not include support from current funds, which are philanthropic contributions earmarked for immediate use rather than invested in an endowment that will produce annual awards in perpetuity.

Of the $8.7 million payout, endowed scholarships represent $4.2 million.

“As we celebrate Thanksgiving, this is a fitting time to express gratitude to all who support Wichita State through their philanthropy,” WSU Foundation president Elizabeth King said. “Because of their generosity, our students are receiving more scholarship support and every area of campus will see a funding increase next fiscal year.”