Betty Sue and Lawrence R. French

Betty Sue and Colonel Lawrence “Larry” R. French met during WKU registration in 1952. Both Hardin County natives, the two began dating November 14th, 1953. They married Valentine’s Day, 1956. Together, the two had two daughters, Suzanne French O’Donnell and Lara French and three grandchildren.

Larry graduated with a BA in mathematics from WKU, a BS in 1962 from Penn State, and a Masters in 1968 from the University of Oklahoma. While at WKU, Colonel French played on the baseball team and was a member of the “W” Club. After graduating, he served in the U.S Air Force where he flew cargo planes and had a 30 year career. He retired at Scott Air Force Base Illinois in 1985. He then was a financial advisor for USPA and IRA for seven years until age 60 when he retired again in 1992. In 1994, after 39 years out of Kentucky, Betty Sue and Larry returned home to Elizabethtown. Betty Sue passed away on February 11, 2021.

Even after graduation, the couple has remained steadfast in their support of WKU. They are members of the Cupola Society and are Alumni Association Members. They are also active in supporting the Heartland Alumni Chapter and are members of the chapter’s planning committee in Elizabethtown, KY, where they reside.

To further demonstrate their dedication to the university and their belief in the importance of education, the Frenches established the Betty Sue and Lawrence R. French Scholarship Fund in 2006. The purpose of this fund is to benefit deserving WKU students who are graduates of a Hardin County high school. Through this fund, their generous legacy lives on in perpetuity.