FHSU announces $2 million gift The Fort Hays State University Foundation has received a $2 million gift from the estates of sisters Marva Lange and Dorothy Lange.

"This is the third-largest estate gift ever received by FHSU and will fund scholarships for students from Kansas," FHSU President Edward H. Hammond said during a Tuesday morning news conference on the university campus.

The Lange sisters graduated from FHSU with bachelor's degrees in 1947 and master's degrees in 1952. Both enjoyed lifelong careers as teachers. They grew up on a farm near Simpson. Marva began teaching high school language arts in Greensburg and then spent most of her career teaching in Wichita at Wichita High School Northwest. Dorothy taught grade school in Cawker City, Phillipsburg and Belleville. Neither married or had children. Dorothy died in 2004 and left her estate to her sister. When Marva died in May, FHSU officially became the beneficiary of nearly all of the estate.

"They were big believers in Fort Hays State," said Donna Long, Beloit, a cousin of the Lange sisters. "They were definitely interested in education and wanted to help young people go to college to be teachers and educators."

For more, see Wednesday's Hays Daily News.