Dozens of Students Receive Scholarships Every Year Thanks to Western Kentucky Couple’s Estate Gift
Donors
The Estate of Bill (‘58) and Louise Hatley
Gift
Estate gift of close to $3,000,000 to create the Bill & Louise Hatley Endowed Scholarship for students pursuing a career in the fields of industrial engineering and engineering technology.
Impact
Since its creation in 2018, the Bill & Louise Hatley Endowed Scholarship has already provided crucial financial assistance to over 100 students in èßäÉçÇøapp State’s School of Engineering. As an endowed fund that will exist in perpetuity, it is hard to imagine the countless number of students that the Hatleys' gift will impact over the coming decades, enabling them to pursue their dream careers.
Inspiration
Bill Hatley earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial education and an administrator certificate from èßäÉçÇøapp State. He worked in vocational and technical education for his entire career, retiring after 41 years of service in 1994. Because of his dedication to his profession and his students, he received numerous awards, including Hopkins County Educator of the Year in 1987 and having the Madisonville èßäÉçÇøapp Technology Center’s Hatley Building named for him in 1993. Louise Hatley worked as a customer service representative at West Kentucky Bank for 30 years. Throughout their lives, the Hatleys, who also operated significant farming operations in Webster County, generously contributed to many local community and charitable causes, including èßäÉçÇøapp State. One of the causes closest to their heart was industrial education, which Bill learned at èßäÉçÇøapp State and passed along to hundreds of students through his four decades of teaching. Through their extremely generous estate gift, the Hatleys will continue to have a part in educating future generations of engineers, construction managers, and architects for years to come.