Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell recently received a $1 million donation from the Randall family to support an existing endowed scholarship.
Ron and Charlys Randall, of Mitchell, recently presented a check for $1 million to DWU President Bob Duffett. The gift was made to the F. Dwain Randall Endowed Scholarship, which is the most prestigious academic award given at DWU.
The Randall Scholarships were established in 1983 by the Randalls in memory of Ron's father, F. Dwain "Doc" Randall. Starting with a small grocery store in Flandreau, Doc Randall built a grocery business encompassing 37 stores in a seven-state area. Doc served on the board of trustees for Dakota Wesleyan University from 1975 until his death in October 1981.
Ron is the former owner and CEO of Randall Stores Inc., and Charlys is a past member of the DWU Board of Trustees. The first Randall Scholarships were awarded in February 1984.
The Randall Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis to academically successful high school seniors who display a strong talent for leadership and service. Students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA and 24 ACT or 1090 SAT to compete for a Randall Scholarship. A current leadership resume must be submitted and attendance at Randall Scholarship Day is required, at which a personal interview is conducted. A limited number of Randall Scholars are named each year.
